CA issues TRO on suspension of ERC Commissioners

The Court of Appeals (CA) has temporarily stopped the suspension of four Energy Regulatory Commission officials by the Office of the Ombudsman, Cecil Villarosa reported on Super Radyo's dzBB.

The CA ninth division, in a resolution penned by Associate Justice Mariflor Punzalan Castillo, issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the one-year suspension of ERC Commissioners Alfredo Non, Gloria Victoria Yap-Taruc, Josefina Patricia Asirit, at Geronimo Sta. Ana.

The objective of the 60-day TRO is to avoid a disruption of ERC services and that Malacañang has not yet appointed people who will replace the suspended officials.

The Ombudsman's suspension order is based on its decision that the ERC commissioners are administratively liable for conduct prejudicial to the best of the interest of service, simple misconduct and simple neglect of duty.

The order stemmed from the allegedly anomalous agreement on the supply of electricity by 38 companies in which seven of these are connected to the Manila Electric Company or Meralco.

The ERC agreed, on March 15, 2016, that allowed the 45-day delay in the implementation of the competitive selection process allowing 38 companies to buy 4,500 megawatts of power supply without competitive bidding. — BAP, GMA News