Villa family urges Marcos to rescind appointment of DICT Usec Salazar
The family of the late Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) director who became despondent over corruption at the agency has appealed to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to rescind the appointment of a dismissed ERC chair to a new post.
In an open letter to Marcos, the family of ERC Director Francisco Jose Villa opposed the appointment of Atty. Jose Vicente Salazar as Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) undersecretary for policy and legal affairs. Bravo News obtained a copy of the letter from former journalist Charie Villa, sister of the late ERC director.
“This is contrary to the penalty meted to him by no less than the Office of the President signed by Salvador C. Medialdea, Executive Secretary, under the authority of President Rodrigo,” the open letter said.
Salazar was dismissed as ERC chair in October, 2017, following an investigation on the suicide of Director Villa. In a suicide note, Villa revealed being pressured by Salazar to favor a certain bidder for an ERC project.
Director Villa, chair of the ERC Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), killed himself in November, 2016.
“Hence, it is with great distress that we are writing this open letter to you, accompanied by the Great Spirit of faith, hope, and love as Filipinos,” the Villa family said.
Salazar was found guilty for grave misconduct, and had been meted the penalty of dismissal from office, ban from government service and forfeiture of retirement benefits, among others.
He was charged with usurpation of authority; bid rigging, splitting of contracts and influencing the members of the BAC; threatening ERC commissioners, officers and other personnel who were investigating Villa’s death; reorganizing the ERC against the structure approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM); illegally appointing ERC officers and personnel concurrence and approval by the ERC commissioners; unilaterally issuing orders, resolutions, and letters pertaining to the renewal of seven (7) Electric Power Purchase AgreementsEPPA) between FDC Utilities, Inc. Misamis (FDC) and various distribution utilities and appointing ERC officers and personnel in the executive and managerial positions without the requisite qualification standards and eligibility.
The administrative complaints were filed by commissioners, officers and personnel of ERC.
The Villa family called on Marcos “to take this God-given chance to make the right decision that will hopefully serve as an example and edify the soul of our government. That is to rescind the appointment of Undersecretary Jose Vicente B. Salazar. To enforce the decision of your predecessor, President Rodrigo Duterte, to bar him from public service forever.”
Related Story: OPEN LETTER https://brv.com.ph/open-letter-to-the-president/
