Panayam kay USec. Jesse Andres ukol sa mga plano at bagong priyoridad sa bagong tungkulin sa Energy Regulatory Commission

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Transcript

00:00Plans and priorities for his new position in the Energy Regulatory Commission,

00:06we will discuss with Undersecretary Jesse Andres,

00:11Officer-in-Charge, Chairperson, and Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Regulatory Commission.

00:17Usec Andres, good afternoon to you.

00:20Good afternoon to all of us. Long live to all of you.

00:24Before, you were interviewed about the DOJ. Now, it's about the ERC.

00:30We have a new position.

00:33First of all, I would like to thank our beloved President, President Bongbong Marcos,

00:38for giving me the opportunity as the ERC Chairman, OIC.

00:43I understand the important role of the ERC in the lives of our ordinary citizens

00:49and especially in the development of our country.

00:52Okay, so first of all, what are the marching orders of the President to you as the designated OIC of the ERC?

01:01The mandate of the ERC is to serve the entire energy sector.

01:08And the first thing we should understand is, what is the reason why the ERC was established in Epira?

01:16Let me tell you a story. When I was a law student in UP,

01:20the brownouts in 1989-1990 were longer than the current.

01:27I think it was scheduled. It was part of our lives.

01:32We had to adjust to the brownouts because we had no other choice.

01:36The current was longer than the current.

01:39That's why it was established in Epira.

01:41Because we saw that the government's funds were not enough

01:47to cover everything that the energy sector needs.

01:51The production, transmission, distribution, and supply of electricity.

01:56That's why the private sector needed help to properly supply energy

02:03and to get it at the right price for our citizens.

02:07Okay. So currently, what are your priorities and plans for the ERC?

02:16The first thing we noticed, because it was only my second day in the ERC,

02:22there are a lot of pending applications that have not yet been acted on.

02:29We are thinking of all ways to speed up the process

02:35and to quickly approve all pending applications in the ERC.

02:42Why is that important?

02:44We need to have competition in all our activities.

02:52More people are joining the energy sector.

02:55It's better for the energy sector to run because of the competition.

02:59But how will the players enter the energy sector

03:05if the approval of their applications is not enough?

03:11That's the first thing we will do.

03:13We will review the processes on how to quickly approve

03:17the power supply agreements, the CAPEX additionals.

03:22On my second day, we found a good solution

03:28because we helped the commissioners.

03:33What's important here is teamwork.

03:36Our agency has no teamwork, no leadership support,

03:40and no support from the ERC.

03:43We will not succeed.

03:45I helped them on my first day and asked for support.

03:49I made them understand the important role of the ERC.

03:54I gave a mantra,

03:57that electricity is life.

04:00What does that mean?

04:02All people, all residents are affected by the price of electricity

04:08and by the continuous supply of electricity.

04:11Whether you are rich or poor,

04:13we are all affected by the power supply.

04:18The ERC and all stakeholders should understand

04:24that we need to help each other.

04:26We have to build a healthy ecosystem.

04:29We will understand the needs of the residents

04:33so that they can approve their projects.

04:36We will protect the residents from monopolies.

04:42There needs to be more competition

04:44because this is what we call an economy of scale.

04:48If there are more competitors,

04:51the supply will be better.

04:53If the supply is good, the price will be lower.

04:57I am a graduate of the UP School of Economics.

05:01When I became a lawyer,

05:04I thought I would forget the concepts of economy.

05:07But now, because I am serving in the ERC,

05:10I can use it again.

05:12What is the law of supply and demand?

05:14What is the Pareto Optimum?

05:16How can we unify good demand and supply

05:21so that there is no fluctuation in the market?

05:23We will work on that.

05:25That is our duty.

05:26Okay.

05:27You mentioned the words monopoly and competition.

05:32Can you give us a picture of our energy now?

05:36How many are controlling this?

05:39How many should be able to enter

05:42so that the price of electricity will go down?

05:46There are many big players in the energy sector.

05:50A lot of people are involved.

05:52A lot of electric cooperatives are being formed

05:56that are part of the distribution network.

05:59But overall,

06:01the investment in energy production,

06:07distribution, and supply.

06:09So, what is the solution for the price to go down?

06:13Competition.

06:14How can competition be created?

06:17The ERC must quickly approve

06:21every power supply agreement.

06:25All interrelated regulations must be reduced

06:30so that the action will be faster.

06:33That way, when they enter and the business starts,

06:38the supply of electricity will increase faster

06:42and the price will go down

06:44because of competition.

06:46How about the big players,

06:50the big businessmen?

06:53How is the possibility

06:57that you will be able to compete with them?

07:00To be honest,

07:02I always say that

07:04I have been in law practice for 33 years.

07:07I have been in government for 6-7 years.

07:11At that time,

07:14I have never encountered

07:17an influence that stopped me

07:20from doing my duty.

07:23I will be fair and independent.

07:26That is what I can promise.

07:28I will do my duties with utmost fairness and independence

07:32because the leaders want a level playing field.

07:37If we give them a level playing field,

07:40a fair direction,

07:42and proper implementation of regulations,

07:46they will not complain.

07:48These are professionals who know the terrain

07:52and would always comply with the law.

07:55If the pending applications are approved,

08:00when will the people feel

08:03the price of electricity will go down?

08:06That is a good question.

08:08I can promise you two things.

08:13We will look at the regulations

08:16to speed up the process

08:18because that is the foremost complaint

08:21of the private sector.

08:23If the process is slow,

08:25we need to speed up the action

08:27of the applications.

08:29If we look at that,

08:31you will be surprised

08:33that we have a lot of reforms

08:35to address that issue.

08:37Second,

08:39I will be open to all the stakeholders.

08:41Teamwork is important.

08:43In the Department of Justice,

08:45we have five pillars

08:47of the criminal justice system.

08:49In the energy sector,

08:51five pillars of the energy sector.

08:53The stakeholders that need

08:55to work together, cooperate.

08:57There is power generation,

08:59distribution, supply,

09:01and transmission.

09:03That includes the ERC

09:05and the citizens

09:07who need to be informed.

09:09They also help

09:11in terms of electric cooperatives.

09:13Those are the five pillars.

09:15We need to have a healthy ecosystem.

09:18That is how I will refer to it.

09:20We will help.

09:22Give and take.

09:24We cannot neglect the interests

09:26of the citizens and consumer protection

09:28because this industry

09:30is imbued with public interest.

09:32That is what we need to understand.

09:34This is not just a business.

09:36This is an industry

09:38which is imbued with public interest.

09:40All of our actions

09:42will first think about

09:44consumer protection

09:46and the interests of the citizens.

09:48We will not neglect

09:50the interests of the citizens.

09:52We will give them support.

09:54That is the assurance

09:56that you will have

09:58a level playing field.

10:00You will have a fair and independent

10:02application of the law

10:04and speedy action

10:06to those involved

10:08in the Energy and Regulatory Commission.

10:10How long

10:12will it take

10:14to lower the price?

10:16I was asked that.

10:18I said, come back to the ERC

10:20after one year

10:22and I will explain to you

10:24how we have created

10:26the foundations

10:28so that a sustainable decrease

10:30in electricity can happen.

10:32It cannot happen in a blink of an eye.

10:34If we lower it now,

10:36it will rise tomorrow.

10:38That is not a success.

10:40Success is if it is a sustainable effort.

10:44Lowering the price

10:46of electricity

10:48is because there are

10:50many suppliers

10:52of electricity

10:54and the transmission,

10:56distribution, and supply

10:58of electricity is efficient.

11:00If we complete that,

11:02the sure result

11:04is a lower price

11:06that continues.

11:08At the end of the day,

11:10the development of our country

11:12is based on the supply of electricity.

11:14That is why we are not

11:16fast in our economic development

11:18because the price of electricity

11:20is not competitive.

11:22But wait for me.

11:24Give me a chance

11:26to help the stakeholders

11:28to create this healthy ecosystem.

11:30I think we have a great chance

11:32to succeed.

11:34Good luck to you, Usec.

11:36How can you help

11:38or how can you

11:40balance your responsibilities

11:42in the ERC

11:44and your involvement

11:46in human rights and drug policy reform

11:48in the Department of Justice?

11:50First of all,

11:52I would like to share

11:54that because I was

11:56appointed as the ERC

11:58Chairman,

12:00I am no longer

12:02the Undersecretary

12:04of the Department of Justice.

12:06I still have

12:08responsibilities in the Department of Justice

12:10that I am fulfilling

12:12because as you said,

12:14we are heavily involved in human rights.

12:16I will continue to do that.

12:18No longer as Undersecretary.

12:20But our priority

12:22for now is to meet

12:24the needs of our country

12:26in terms of energy regulation.

12:28Because as I said,

12:30to the members of the ERC,

12:32what you are doing

12:34is more important.

12:36We are doing everything for our country

12:38because not everyone

12:40is a victim of injustice

12:42or can be a victim of injustice.

12:44But the current situation,

12:46all people, rich

12:48or poor,

12:50can be a victim

12:52of justice or injustice.

12:54No one is not affected

12:56by this. So my new mantra

12:58is that the current situation

13:00is alive.

13:02All people are waking up,

13:04going to the office,

13:06working,

13:08and everyone is helping us,

13:10bringing food to the office,

13:12supporting our work,

13:14everyone needs electricity.

13:16And the burden

13:18of our consumers

13:20in terms of

13:22the daily cost of electricity,

13:24we are beating that.

13:26So we need to speed up

13:28the response of the government

13:30to address the increase

13:32of supply and more efficient

13:34distribution of electricity.

13:36Okay. So for you,

13:38what are the challenges

13:40that you are facing

13:42from the previous appeal

13:44to the preventive suspension

13:46of the former ERC chair?

13:48Well, first of all,

13:50the decision of the Ombudsman

13:52needs to be respected.

13:54If the Ombudsman

13:56knows that

13:58there is a reason

14:00to continue

14:02the suspension or not,

14:04we should respect that.

14:06But while I am here,

14:08I will not hesitate

14:10to do the right thing.

14:12We cannot wait for things to happen.

14:14The services and work

14:16here at the Energy Regulatory Commission

14:18will continue.

14:20My important appeal is

14:22that I will have time

14:24to meet with the stakeholders.

14:26And I am also asking

14:28that we have time

14:30to talk

14:32so that we are all aligned,

14:34we are all on the same page.

14:36That is what we have seen

14:38the whole of government approach,

14:40including the stakeholders,

14:42in policymaking.

14:44So that I will not leave

14:46the interests of the people

14:48who have advocacy about energy.

14:50And we will reach that time very soon

14:52where I will have a chance

14:54to engage with you.

14:56I want to remind everyone

14:58of a level playing field

15:00and a fair administration

15:02of energy regulations.

15:04How should the ERC

15:06face the problems

15:08that affect

15:10the image

15:12of your Commission?

15:14Well,

15:16I am always up to the challenge.

15:18And as I said,

15:20the first thing I saw

15:22when the stakeholders complained

15:24was the lack of process.

15:26I understand there are hundreds

15:28of backlogs

15:30and even thousands of backlogs

15:32in the services that we need to do.

15:34And that is one good thing

15:36for me, if I should say,

15:38I always am a troubleshooter.

15:40I think out of the box.

15:42I have to find ways

15:44to make things go more efficiently.

15:46And I am already looking

15:48for ways.

15:50And probably next week

15:52when the new Commission

15:54convenes for the first time,

15:56we will have a lot of

15:58approvals coming out.

16:00Unlike before, there were

16:02instances where in the whole meeting

16:04of a Commission, no one was approved.

16:06Maybe because

16:08their explanation was not good.

16:10But now,

16:12I promised the Commissioners

16:14that we will have a free and open

16:16discussion on all issues.

16:18And hopefully, when the

16:20Commission makes a decision,

16:22it will be a consensus.

16:24We should explain

16:26why this decision

16:28is right compared to others.

16:30And we need to have

16:32a unified stand whenever

16:34we make a decision. Because there is

16:36only one parameter, the public

16:38interest. So all of us,

16:40all the Commissioners, I told

16:42them, have only one parameter.

16:44What is the public interest issue

16:46involved here?

16:48We have to apply

16:50strictly the regulations.

16:52There is no middle,

16:54there is no wrong. There should be

16:56consistent application of the rules,

16:58regulatory rules. And I think

17:00when we ensure

17:02an equal

17:04implementation of the regulations,

17:06no one will complain.

17:08Okay. So how are you

17:10showing your new appointment

17:12the priorities of the

17:14administration on the energy

17:16policy of the country?

17:18That's a very good question.

17:20You know, like

17:22I said earlier,

17:24I understand

17:26the importance

17:28of the right supply

17:30at the right price

17:32of electricity for the

17:34entire effort of the government

17:36for our development.

17:38That's two. First, we need

17:40to have sufficient supply,

17:42reliable and efficiently

17:44distributed to lower

17:46the price for our

17:48citizens. And with that,

17:50how will they add

17:52investment in the energy sector

17:54if the regulation is not fair,

17:56the running of the

17:58papers is slow,

18:00and the playing field is not level?

18:02Now, in our

18:04duty, I insist again

18:06that we will be fair

18:08and fast in all

18:10processes within

18:12the regulatory framework.

18:14And I will not

18:16hesitate to ask

18:18all stakeholders to

18:20look at the policy

18:22so that all of your interests

18:24can be protected and heard

18:26before we move.

18:28Okay. Thank you very much

18:30for your time.

18:32Can I still call you Yusek?

18:34I can be called

18:36Yusek because the rank

18:38of ERC Chairperson is

18:40higher than Yusek.

18:42But I would prefer just to be called Yusek

18:44or Chairman

18:46because it's more important

18:48to do your duty

18:50rather than the duty.

18:52Okay. Officer-in-charge,

18:54Chairperson, and Chief Executive

18:56Officer of ERC, thank you very much.

18:58Sir Jesse Andres. Thank you very much

19:00as well. Long live to all of you.

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