MANILA, Philippines – Former Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera was appointed Energy Regulation Commission chairperson by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Her appointment was signed on Wednesday, November 22. Devanadera will serve until July 2022, or until the expiration of the term of Jose Vicente Salazar who was ordered dismissed by Malacañang for grave misconduct.

President Duterte appoints former solicitor general Agnes Devanadera as new ERC chairperson. @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/v7Eskt8gjX

— Pia Ranada (@piaranada) November 24, 2017

Devanadera served as Solicitor General during the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. She also served as Arroyo’s acting justice secretary when then Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez was on medical leave.

In 2006, Devanadera was charged with graft for a debt agreement inked by the Philippine National Construction Corporation (PNCC) and British lending firm Radstock, which she greenlighted as government corporate counsel at the time.

Radstock bought the rights to PNCC’s debt to Japanese firm Marubeni which ballooned to P17 billion. A debt agreement was firmed up to pay only P6 billion.

But the Supreme Court (SC) nullified the deal, saying it has no basis in the Constitution, and would cost the government too much. The graft complainant, former PNCC president Luis Sison, said that Devanadera and her co-accused were “quietly stealing” the P6 billion.

In May this year, the Sandiganbayan dropped the graft case due to investigative delays on the part of the Ombudsman’s office. – Rappler.com