Palace to probe ERC execs death

President Duterte has directed authorities to look into the death of Energy Regulatory
Commission director Jose Villa Jr., who took his own life allegedly due to pressure from his
superior to rig government contracts.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar yesterday said the President wanted an
investigation of Villas death as it was being linked to supposed corruption activities involving
ERC Chair Jose Vicente Salazar.

(The President) has ordered the immediate investigation of the ERC... There will be no sacred
cows in (in the probe), Andanar said in a text message.

He, however, could not tell which law enforcement agency will conduct the investigation.

Last week, the consumer group Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas (ABP) called on Mr. Duterte
to look into the Nov. 9 suicide of the ERC executive, saying it could be linked to irregularities in
the agency tasked with the regulating power distribution utilities.

In a statement, ABP secretary general Aya Jallorina said the ERC should be cleansed and that
it was high time for President Duterte to lick corruption in that government agency.

Salazar has denied insinuations that he coerced Villa to award certain projects to his favoured
companies which could have led the latter to commit suicide.

In one of his suicide notes, the 54-year-old Villa wrote: My greatest fear in the bids and awards
committee is the AVP by Luis Morelos which the chairman and CEO, Jose Vicente B. Salazar,
chose through a rigged selection system. That will be a criminal act.

Broadcast journalist Charie Villa said her brother was pressured to approve contracts for
procurements and hiring consultants without proper bidding and procedure as bids and awards
committee chairman.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi, meanwhile, has written a letter to Charie Villa offering the
departments sympathies on the unexpected death of her brother.

Cusi said the Department of Energy, together with the ERC, was resolute in finding out the truth
behind the allegations and issues raised by Villas death.