ERC OIC takes over as Dimalanta hopes to return ‘soonest’

ERC OIC Jesse Andres —Niño Jesus Orbeta

Lawyer Jesse Andres has formally assumed office as temporary chief of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) yesterday, Sept. 25.

Malacanang earlier announced his appointment while ERC Chair Monalisa Dimalanta is serving her six-month suspension, which the Office of the Ombudsman ordered last month.

However, Dimalanta, who is facing a complaint for alleged neglect of duty filed by a consumer group, was not giving up her position easily.

“As we continue to respect and observe the legal processes at the Office of the Ombudsman, I remain hopeful that they will favorably resolve my motion for reconsideration filed on 11 September 2024, and lift the preventive suspension at the soonest time possible,” she said.

In a message to the Inquirer over the weekend, she said Malacañang’s move naming Andres as the ERC’s officer in charge (OIC) and chief executive was a “welcome development” as this would ensure the resumption of the agency’s duties, which she described as “critical to the Philippine economy.”

The ERC said Andres has already met with the commissioners and that he has been briefed about the agency’s mandates and pending matters that demand his immediate action.

“I will perform my functions as ERC officer in charge chairman with utmost fairness and independence. ERC will act expeditiously on all pending matters with a view to foster competition and ultimately drive down the price of electricity and protect consumers,” Andres said in a message to reporters.

Lawyer for 34 years

He has been a practicing lawyer for 34 years and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of the Philippines School of Economics. He is a career executive service officer and has completed his directorship training with the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Before his appointment, Andres served as executive director of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, an attached agency of the Department of Justice.

The ERC assured the public and the power sector that its operations would remain “unhampered” despite recent developments in its leadership structure.

“Front-line services of the ERC will continue to be fully operational, ensuring that the concerns of consumers are promptly addressed and assistance is readily provided to the public,” it added.