September 21, 2024 | 11:06am
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has designated Jesse Hermogenes Andres as officer-in-charge chairperson and chief executive officer of the Energy Regulatory Commission.
Andres’ appointment is effective immediately, according to the Presidential Communications Office.
“In order to ensure the continuous and effective delivery of public service, please be informed that MR. JESSE HERMOGENES T. ANDRES is hereby designated as Officer-in-Charge Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), effective immediately, until a replacement is designated or until otherwise directed by this Office,” a September 20 memorandum from the Office of the President signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin read.
The appointment comes after ERC Chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta was placed under a six-month preventive suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman earlier this month for alleged neglect of duty.
The suspension order stemmed from a complaint filed by consumer interest group National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms in November 2023.
The group complained that Dimalanta allowed Manila Electric Co. to regularly purchase electricity from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) at higher prices, while Meralco passed on the charges to consumers without the required prior approval of the ERC. This is in violation of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act or EPIRA.
WESM is the trading platform for electricity in the Philippines.
Dimalanta said that she has already filed a motion for reconsideration on the preventive suspension order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman against her.
Appointed by Marcos in 2022, Dimalanta’s term at the ERC is set to run until July 2029.
