ERC execs face graft, bribery complaint over P15M travel expenses

“These travels are clearly not aligned with the purpose – which is for monitoring facilities – for which the fund was earmarked. Worse, respondents deliberately failed to liquidate the funds that they received from PEMC (Philippine Electricity Market Corporation).

 Philippines — Energy Regulatory Commission chief Alfredo Non and four other ERC officials are in hot water over alleged use of P15 million worth of funds of a private corporation for their foreign trips.

In a 26-page complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman on Wednesday, advocacy groups Sanlakas and Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) said Non and the four other ERC officials must be investigated for graft, indirect bribery, technical malversation and violation of the Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

The complaint was filed by Sanlakas secretary general Jose Aaron Pedrosa Jr. and FDC secretary general Samuel Cesar Gamboa.

Aside from the alleged criminal offenses, the complainants said Non and the four other ERC officials must also be held administratively liable for grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and serious dishonesty, and must therefore, be dismissed from service.

Aside from Non, named as respondents in complaint were ERC commissioners Gloria Victoria Yap-Taruc, Josefina Patricia Magpale-Asirit and Geronimo Sta. Ana, as well as ERC director of market operations service Debora Anastacia Layugan.

The complainants said the five ERC officials from February 2009 to August 2015, receive from Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (PEMC) a total of P15.04 million “to cover their airline tickets, hotel accommodation, clothing allowance and the like for their travels abroad”.

The PEMC is a non-profit organization regulated by the ERC. It is the market operator of Wholesale Electricity Spot Market or WESM.

The complainants pointed out that while the PEMC allocated two percent of its market transaction fees (MTFs) to ERC for the maintenance of its monitoring facilities, the fund was instead used by the respondents for personal purpose.

“These travels are clearly not aligned with the purpose – which is for monitoring facilities – for which the fund was earmarked. Worse, respondents deliberately failed to liquidate the funds that they received from PEMC,” the complaint read.

The complainants said that based on the PEMC's report on the budget utilization of its MTFs for years 2009 to 2015, Non used a total of P3.516 million of PEMC's fund for his travels to Florida, Australia and New Zealand in 2013 and 2014 for meetings and seminars.

Taruc, meanwhile, allegedly used P4.9 million of PEMC fund for her travels to Florida, Autralia, Washington DC and even in Davao.

Asirit allegedly used P741,921 of PEMC fund for her travels also in Australia and New Zealand while Layugan allegedly used P5.881 PEMC fund for her travels to Canada, Texas, Florida, New Zealand, Germany, Davao and Cagayan De Oro.

The purpose of the travels were supposedly to attend various conferences, training programs and meetings.

The complainants said these officials have yet to liquidate their travel expenses up to now.

Furthermore, the complainants alleged that the respondents also “sourced a number of their travel funds from other regulated entities of the ERC.”

The identities these supposed power entities, however, were not revealed in the complaint.

“While the hapless Filipino consumers are working day-in and day-out to make ends meet, struggling everyday with the rising energy and electricity costs, these Respondents...have been enjoying extravagant travels abroad using funds from the very agencies that the ERC regulates,” the complaint read.

SOURCE:http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/07/19/1721095/erc-execs-face-graft-bribery-complaint-over-p15m