Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Chairperson Monalisa C. Dimalanta has reportedly submitted her resignation and she announced it to the employees during this week’s flag raising ceremony, several insider-sources have confirmed.

“The ERC Chair has announced her resignation this Monday… just now in our flag raising ceremony,” one of the key officials of the regulatory body has affirmed to Manila Bulletin.

According to highly placed sources, Dimalanta has lodged her resignation last July 10 at the Office of the President, through the Office of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.

Dimalanta confirmed the submission of courtesy resignation; albeit she indicated that “unless there is any announcement from Malacañang, nothing is official. We should never preempt the appointing authority.”

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro confirmed to Manila Bulletin that Dimalanta has submitted an “irrevocable resignation.”

It has to be noted that the ERC was among the agencies furnished with a memorandum by Malacañang on the mandated submission of courtesy resignations as part of the ongoing leadership reboot of the Marcos administration.

Under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), the ERC Chairperson as well as the other Commissioners are vested with fixed terms, although their appointments are done by the President himself.

In previous exchange of text messages with the ERC Chair, she indicated that the Commissioners “have fixed terms under the EPIRA” and that the correspondence from the Executive Secretary’s office was just a “generic memo sent to all.”

The memorandum that was stamped-received by the ERC on May 23 this year stipulated that “in the exigency of service, and in line with the President’s directive to conduct a thorough performance review of Cabinet members and government agencies, you are hereby directed to tender an unqualified courtesy resignation, subject to existing laws, rules and regulations.”

It was further noted that “the courtesy resignation shall be submitted to the Office of the Executive Secretary immediately.”

The memorandum similarly emphasized that “until any action is taken by the President and/or the undersigned on such courtesy resignation, you shall continue to report for work and perform your usual duties and functions, subject to any further directives that the President and/or the undersigned may deem proper.”

Prior to the ERC chief’s resignation, industry talks swirled that one of the officials to be appointed at the regulatory body may come from the Office of the Executive Secretary.

There are two vacancies at the Commission vacated by former Commissioners Alexis Lumbatan and Catherine Maceda who retired last July 10; but it remains a guessing game if Dimalanta will eventually be reinstated or the Office of the President will institute revamp at the regulatory body.

As for National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), its spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza remains hopeful that no applications within the energy industry will face delays under the new officials of the ERC.

“I’m so surprised when we heard the news. I’ve known Chairman Dimalanta. I consider her a good friend. She has definitely pursued her mandate of being a regulator. I hope the best for her future endeavors,” she told reporters on Monday, July 14.

When asked about the possible impact on NGCP’s ongoing applications with the Commission, Alabanza said, “Even though there will be vacancies, I am sure that the government and the administration will ensure that the crucial work is given to them and to ensure the continuous development of the energy industry as well as the balance, the interests will go on unhampered.”

Senator Win Gatchalian further described Dimalanta’s recent resignation as “a significant loss to the government.”

“Her unwavering commitment to integrity has been instrumental in steering the Commission, and her dedication to consumer welfare and regulatory transparency set a high bar,” he said.

“I hope that whoever will take over will have the same dedication to a fair and effective leadership in the energy sector, which ensures the safety of consumers and integrity of the entire sector,” Gatchalian added.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the country’s biggest business group of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), said it was “concerned at the sudden resignation” of Dimalanta, alongside the concurrent end of term of two ERC commissioners.

“This move effectively deprives the Commission of a quorum to perform its regulatory role. The leadership vacuum will also delay key decisions regarding power tariffs, consumer protection and energy policies that will unfairly weigh on industrial and domestic consumers,” PCCI lamented.

“We urge the administration to act with deliberate speed in appointing able and independent thinking commissioners so as to ensure continuity in the ERC mandate,” it said.

For PCCI, “the energy sector needs a strong and robust regulatory body to protect the interests of electricity consumers across the country.”

Jay Layug, president of Developers of Renewable Energy for AdvanceMent Inc. (DREAM), added that the ERC’s duties would be hampered if it operates without a quorum.

“A regulator like the ERC operating without a quorum is effectively paralyzed and unable to carry out its statutory duties,” he said. “We all know the critical importance that the ERC plays in setting electricity rates, enforcing industry standards, and safeguarding consumer interests.”