The Office of the Ombudsman ordered up to six months of preventive suspension on Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta in connection with Manila Electric Company’s purchase of power from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) and subsequent unauthorized billing of consumers.
The decision, which was handed down on Thursday, arose from a complaint filed against Dimalanta by the National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms Inc. (Nasecore).
In an order dated Aug. 27, Ombudsman Samuel Martires tasked Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin with implementing the ERC chair’s suspension.
“Until the administrative adjudication of this case is terminated, but not to exceed six months, without pay, except when the delay in the disposition of the case is due to her fault, negligence or petition, in which case the period of delay shall not be counted in computing the period of preventive suspension,” the resolution read.
In its complaint, Nasecore demanded that Dimalanta must be held culpable abusing her authority.
“The evidence on record shows that the guilt of respondent Dimalanta is strong and the charges against her involve grave misconduct, grave abuse of authority, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service which may warrant her removal from the service,” Martrinez further stated in his order.
It was found that Dimalanta allowed Meralco to purchase electricity from the WESM and pass the charges on to consumers without obtaining the necessary approval from the ERC, in violation of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA).
