Almendras niece named ERC commissioner

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino has named lawyer Josefina Patricia Magpale-Asirit as commissioner of the Energy Regulatory Commission with a seven-year term of office, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said yesterday.

Her term began on July 11 and would end on July 10, 2020.

Valte confirmed to reporters that Asirit, who served as undersecretary of the Department of Energy, is the daughter of Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale and niece of Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras.

Asirit was a former board member of Cebu and helped her mother, a member of the President’s Liberal Party, campaign during the last elections. Magpale also became acting governor of Cebu in December after the suspension of then Cebu governor Gwen Garcia.

Almendras, on the other hand, was a classmate of President Aquino and considered as one of his closest and trusted Cabinet members.

Asirit worked with Almendras when he was still energy secretary. She is now part of those looking into the country’s power rates vis-à-vis consumers’ interest, among other tasks of the agency.