Dimalanta back as Energy Regulatory Commission chairperson

Metro Manila, Philippines — Monalisa Dimalanta has re-assumed her post as Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) chairperson and chief executive officer, Malacañang said.

In a document dated Oct. 30 and released on Thursday, Oct. 31, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said the Ombudsman lifted its preventive suspension on Dimalanta.

Dimalanta was suspended over a complaint of the National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms that she permitted power distributor Manila Electric Company to buy electricity from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market and pass on the cost to consumers without ERC approval.

“Nakabalik po ako sa opisina kanina at nagsimula nang aralin ang mga nangyari sa ERC over the last 51 days [I have returned to the office and began reviewing the developments within the ERC over the last 51 days]. I thank everyone for the prayers that have brought us to this point and that will see us through until our work is completed,” Dimalanta said in a statement.

In the Ombudsman’s Oct. 22 order, it said that the “ground which justifies the continued imposition of preventive suspension no longer exists” after it evaluated the case records.