Who are the new appointees to the Energy Regulatory Commission?

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The appointments come just days after the future of the ERC was left in question after the resignation of its chairperson, Monalisa Dimalanta, and the retirement of two commissioners

MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed three new officials to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

The appointments come just days after the future of the ERC was left in question following the resignation of its chairperson, Monalisa Dimalanta, on July 14 and the retirement of two commissioners, Alexis Lumbatan and Catherine Maceda, on July 10.

The ERC is supposed to be an independent regulatory body that should promote consumer interests and competition in the energy sector. 

Who are the ERC’s new administrators?

Francis Saturnino Juan

Francis Saturnino Juan will be the ERC chairperson beginning August 8, when Dimalanta formally steps down.

Juan is a lawyer and an energy expert, who played a “key role” in setting up the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market.

He has held several posts in government and in the private sector, including being part of the board of directors of listed power and utilities firm Synergy Grid & Development Philippines Incorporated. Juan is not new to the ERC, having been its executive director, a general counsel, and once the commission’s spokesman.

Juan is also currently the president of the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines.

“With his deep institutionalized knowledge and leadership, we are confident that Chairperson Juan will stir the ERC toward more efficient, transparent and pro-consumer decision-making,” Press Secretary Claire Castro said in a press briefing on Thursday, July 17.

Amante Liberato

Amante Liberato will be taking up one of the commissioner posts at the ERC.

Liberato is a lawyer and a Certified Public Accountant. He is currently the deputy executive secretary for finance and administration at the Office of the President.

Over the years, he had also served as a technical adviser or consultant for the provincial government of Bataan and Abra, as well as for the House of Representatives. He was also part of the Commission on Audit for over a decade.

“His strong background in fiscal management and regulatory policy will be vital in supporting institutional reforms within the ERC,” Castro said.

Paris Real

Paris Real will be filling the second vacant commissioner post at the ERC.

He is also a lawyer with over 10 years of “participation in high-impact regulatory proceedings before the ERC.”

Real has also been involved in efforts to bring ABS-CBN back on air.

In 2020, he wrote the Supreme Court a 166-page petition seeking for a temporary restraining order on the cease-and-desist order the National Telecommunications Commission filed against ABS-CBN. The petition also sought to define the Office of the Solicitor General’s (OSG) power jurisdictions, as the OSG was the one who got the ball rolling on formalizing the media giant’s shut down.

“He is recognized for his commitment to legal integrity and consumer advocacy qualities that reinforce the commission’s quasi-judicial mandate,” Castro said. – Rappler.com