President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed seasoned lawyer and Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) President Francis Saturnino Juan as chairman of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) effective August 8, Malacañang said on Thursday.
Juan will take the post vacated by Monalisa Dimalanta, who has resigned as ERC chair to return to the private sector.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the president also appointed deputy executive secretary for finance and administration Amante Liberato and lawyer Paris Real as ERC commissioners.
“Together, these appointments reflect the president’s commitment to energizing the ERC with leaders who uphold integrity, transparency and public service. We look forward to the reforms and progress they will help bring under Bagong Pilipinas,” Castro said.
Malacañang said earlier this week it had received Dimalanta’s irrevocable resignation, but did not specify a reason.
Dimalanta’s term as ERC chairperson was to end in 2029.
Castro said Malacañang extended its “deepest gratitude to Dimalanta for her dedicated service to the commission and to the Filipino people.”
“We wish her continued success as she returns to private practice,” she added.
Lawyers complete the 5-member ERC board
Castro said Malacañang expects Juan, “with his deep institutional knowledge and leadership…, (to) steer the ERC toward more efficient, transparent and pro-consumer decision making.”
Juan brings with him decades of experience in regulatory affairs, having previously served as executive director and general counsel of the ERC, apart from his current stint at the IEMOP, Castro said in her announcement at the Palace.
“He has played a key role in operationalizing the wholesale electricity spot market, advocating consumer protection and promoting renewable energy development through tariff reforms… We look forward to his smooth and seamless transition under his chairmanship,” Castro said.
Liberato and Real, meanwhile, replaced Alexis Lumbatan and Catherine Maceda, who both retired on July 10 after completing their seven-year terms.
Liberato is a lawyer and a certified public accountant who brings extensive experience in public finance, legal reform and governance, having previously served with the Commission on Audit (COA) and in various consultancy roles across the legislative and executive branches, Castro said.
Malacañang expects Liberato’s background in fiscal management and regulatory policy to be vital in supporting institutional reforms within the ERC.
Real is credited as a seasoned litigator and a legal adviser with more than two decades of experience, including active participation in high-impact ERC regulatory proceedings for more than 10 years.
“He is known for his focus on legal integrity, consumer protection that is expected to strengthen the commission’s quasi-judicial processes,” Castro said.
The appointments of Juan, Liberato and Real complete the five-man ERC board, which also includes commissioners Floresinda Baldo-Digal and Marko Romeo Lizada Fuentes, whose terms run until 2027.
