A militant legislator on Wednesday called for a probe with the end of filing criminal charges against Energy Regulatory Commission officials who he claimed erred in approving “questionable power-supply agreements.”
“It is important to pursue criminal cases against these corrupt officials to make them accountable. We should not let them go unpunished all the time,” Rep. Carlos Zarate said at a news conference Wednesday.
Zarate cited a recent Supreme Court en banc ruling that rejected several power-supply agreements “for not undergoing the required public bidding or competitive selection process, as proof that the ERC officials were remiss in their duty in ensuring transparency and accountability.”
“They should be punished not only administratively, but also criminally,” he added.
Aya Jallorina, secretary general of petitioner Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas Inc., bared the implications of the favorable SC decision on their criminal charge against the ERC commissioners.
“It could bolster our criminal charge because the Ombudsman found probable cause for violations of Republic Act 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act,” Jallorina told reporters, citing the opinion of the group’s lawyer.
“What’s important is to make these officials accountable and have them serve as a lesson to other officials,” Zarate said.
Referring to the erring ERC commissioners, he said: “Some of them have already retired but I think it’s not enough reason not to pursue the charges.”
The Ombudsman earlier suspended the chairman and all commissioners of the ERC in December 2017.
However, the ERC executives managed to get a temporary restraining order on the suspension from the Court of Appeals.
Since July 2018, however, three of the commissioners left the ERC—two retired while another one resigned for health reasons.