Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 25) — Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla has created an advisory panel on law and energy which will provide his department recommendations on reform initiatives and legal matters.
The panel will be led by retired Chief Justices Artemio Panganiban and Reynato Puno.
“Retired Chief Justice Panganiban and Retired Chief Justice Puno have kindly agreed to be the co-chairs of the DOE’s (Department of Energy) Law and Energy Advisory Panel,” Lotilla said in a statement on Thursday. “They will serve as private citizens and will not assume any public office.”
According to the department, the proposed initial discussions will center on legal issues concerning the gas and oil sector of the country, including the Malampaya-Camago project which it considers as the Philippines’ biggest gas-to-power initiative to date.
The advisory panel is also expected to give suggestions on the objectives, content, and overall substance of the energy sector’s legislative agenda covering alternative and new technologies, the DOE said.
Enhancing the department’s legal processes with the welfare of the Filipino people in mind is likewise part of the group’s functions, it added.
“The Advisory Panel or its members may also assist the DOE in communicating any aspects of the DOE’s legal or policy initiatives which have been the subject of their advice,” Lotilla noted.
