Duterte call doesn’t cover us — ERC Visayas chief

CEBU, Philippines - The chief of the Energy Regulatory Commission in the Visayas is confident its employees will not be affected by the demand of President Rodrigo Duterte for ERC officials to step down.

Lawyer Joel Bontuyan said he understands the President’s call but it reportedly only covers the chairman, chief executive officer, and commissioners. As head in the Visayas, he occupies a non-executive position, he said. 

“It won't directly affect us. We belong to the rank-and-file,” Bontuyan told The FREEMAN.

In a report by The Philippine Star yesterday, Duterte said about the rank-and- file employees: “I don’t know but I leave it to the implementers. But I want all officials to resign.”

Last Monday, Duterte directed ERC officials to resign following the death of one of the agency's directors. He also asked Congress to abolish the commission if the officials refuse to quit their post.

Francisco Villa Jr., the former head of ERC’s bids and awards committee, took his own life on November 9 reportedly due to pressures by his superior into rigging bids.

“While the late Atty. Francisco ‘Jun’ Villa was a good friend of mine, I was equally shocked as the rest of ERC employees since there’s no one among us with whom the late director confided,” Bontuyan said.

“We shared jokes, not problems and for that, I am deeply regretful,” he said further.

Centralized

On alleged anomalies hounding the ERC head office, Bontuyan explained only a few financial transactions go through the field offices. This is because the ERC is a “highly centralized” body.

“We are not a separate office nor do we have any distinct budget and resources,” he said, adding, “as such the types of transactions mentioned in the notes of the late director are not performed by the field office.”

“Aside from the collection of fees from some electric utilities choosing to pay their statements of accounts received from the ERC central office, what little revenue we collect from meter-testing and application fees for certificates of compliance of generators are immediately remitted to government depository banks,” Bontuyan said.

He said there is only one bids and awards committee in the ERC, the one Villa headed.

“The Visayas Field Office does not procure on its own the equipment it uses or the services it needs,” he said, noting that most of their expensive equipment is pre-owned and handed down to them from the head office.

In a briefing Monday, ERC officials said they will not leave their posts and instead asked for an impartial investigation. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are considering opening investigations into the alleged anomalies at the ERC. (FREEMAN)