DoE: No energy overhaul amid ERC shakeup

Following the sudden irrevocable resignation of Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta, the Department of Energy (DoE) assured stakeholders and investors that there will be no major overhaul in the energy sector.

“We want to maintain continuity and we want to assure our stakeholders and possible investors that there will be no major changes in the DoE. I don’t want the stakeholders to think that there’s a major overhaul of the energy industry,” Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said in a Palace briefing on Tuesday.

She pointed out that while Dimalanta’s resignation poses complications, it does not signal a shift in energy policy.

Lacking a quorum

Garin noted that the ERC, which is under the Office of the President, could soon lack a quorum with two commissioners expected to retire.

Despite the leadership gap at the ERC, Garin said the DoE remains committed to its current strategies.

“We will continue with effective policies. We will do away with policies that are not helpful to the country,” she said.

Modified CoA opinion

In a separate statement on Tuesday, the ERC reported that it received an unmodified opinion from the Commission on Audit (CoA) for its fiscal year 2024 financial statements — the third consecutive year it earned the highest audit rating.