ERC's Dimalanta directed by CA to recuse from NGCP's rate reset proceedings

Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta was ordered by the Court of Appeals (CA) to recuse herself from participating in the proceedings for the resolution of the rate reset application of National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

The CA’s Special 11th Division in a 22-page decision dated 30 April 2025, acting on the petition for certiorari filed by NGCP, granted the grid operator’s motion for inhibition, further ruling that Dimalanta “should have recused herself from further participating” in the 4th Regulatory Period (RP) Reset Application of the country’s transmission grid operator.

The CA said they found respondent gravely abused her discretion when she refused to inhibit from the proceedings a quo despite her evident bias and partiality against the petitioner.

Dimalanta stated when asked for comment, “I have yet to receive a copy of this.”

The NGCP in seeking certiorari, cited Dimalanta’s series of public statements that demonstrated she already “prejudged” its 4th RP Reset Application even before the application had been filed “as evidenced by news articles citing that NGCP rates are expected to go down.”