Stellar public service record

The Office of the Ombudsman has recently placed under preventive suspension Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta after it found her to have performed acts amounting to grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

Ombudsman Samuel Martires ordered Dimalanta’s suspension without pay for no more than six months in connection with a complaint filed in 2023 by the National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms (Nasecore), headed by Pete Ilagan.

Dimalanta, a former legal counsel and compliance officer of Aboitiz Power Corp. and chair of the National Renewable Energy Board, was appointed in August 2022 by President Marcos for a fixed term of seven years.

The ombudsman’s order, dated Aug. 20, stemmed from ERC’s alleged failure to recalculate the rate of Meralco that would have benefited electricity users. Nasecore claims that Dimalanta had sat on the issue for more than two years since it was brought to her desk in 2022.

The order also cited Nasecore’s contention that Dimalanta had not resolved several motions filed by the group. The preventive suspension would prevent the ERC chief from further committing malfeasance and/or misfeasance while the investigation is underway.

But what is also interesting is that PR hacks appear to have been deployed to target the ombudsman, with a recent slew of negative write-ups implying that the decision is influenced by perceived “enemies” of Dimalanta.

Dimalanta’s backers have placed her in a victim’s posture. However, the tactic can only make things worse. After all, Ombudsman Martires has had a stellar record of suspending high-profile but apparently errant officials – a clear indication that his office is dead serious in carrying out its duty and should not be trifled with using cheap demolition jobs.

“Evidence on record shows that the guilt of respondent Dimalanta is strong and the charges against her involve Grave misconduct, grave abuse of authority, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, which may warrant her removal from the service,” said the ombudsman in his Aug. 20, 2024, order.

Based on a number of articles that have come out in the media, there appears to be an effort to somehow link the ombudsman, Nasecore and industry players in a supposed conspiracy against Dimalanta.

First, there were efforts to discredit Nasecore as a fly-by-night organization. But that was easily debunked, as most industry players know that it has been carrying the torch for consumers since 1999.

In contrast to actual fly-by-night consumer groups-for-hire or those doubling as political vehicles, Ilagan has maintained the group’s impartiality and respectability as a watchdog through the decades – taking on powerful organizations with no exemptions and no holy cows.

Then there’s the insinuation that the ombudsman is allegedly acting on the influence of a big conglomerate that Dimalanta was at odds with last year.

Well, said company had already won its case against the ERC in both the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. The firm has moved on to other concerns, given it has massive infrastructure projects with the government at present.

The said firm has also partnered on several projects with the Aboitiz Group, Dimalanta’s former employer.

But more than all that, it’s simply an insult to the ombudsman, whose track record thus far has been spotless – riddled only with suspensions and corrective measures issued to help ensure a clean government.

Former Supreme Court and Sandiganbayan Justice Martires, who had priestly aspirations until fate intervened, has recently suspended a number of high-profile individuals, including Bohol governor Erico Aumentado over the resort built on the world-famous Chocolate Hills; Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo in connection with the illegal POGO operations under her control; and Mandaue City mayor Jonas Cortes over the appointment of an unqualified public servant, among others.

Just take another look at that record. You wouldn’t want to cross the ombudsman.

Landbank taps Traxion Pay

The Land Bank of the Philippines is poised to roll out its new electronic wallet solutions to enhance financial inclusion and support government disbursements.

According to Landbank president and CEO Lynette Ortiz, two models will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2024 through its partnership with Traxion Pay Inc., a fintech firm known for its expertise in digital payment solutions.

Traxion Pay is led by ex-Duterte advisor and envoy Ann Cuisia, who used to serve as an IT consultant at the Office of the President.

Ortiz said the two models to be launched are the eWallet-Carded, which comes with a physical card, and the eWallet-Virtual, accessible through a mobile banking application.

She revealed that the eWallet-Carded product is undergoing testing and will be launched by Oct. 30 this year, while the eWallet-Virtual will be made available via mobile banking application by Dec. 15.

These eWallet models are designed to facilitate online transactions, including intrabank and interbank fund transfers, bill payments and the disbursement of government cash grants, particularly for beneficiaries of social amelioration programs.

Landbank earlier said that its cards with QR codes will provide beneficiaries an alternative method to immediately receive and access their funds, ensuring timely assistance from government agencies, especially during emergencies and other special subsidy payouts.

Aside from the eWallet functionalities, the partnership with Traxion Pay includes provisions for the development of QR PH person-to-person and person-to-merchant payment solutions.

This initiative aligns with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ goal of fostering a safe and efficient digital payment ecosystem, further advancing economic inclusivity.

Landbank and Traxion are also working together to onboard over 200 cooperatives to the Landbank-asama Program, aimed at providing banking services to underserved rural areas, helping bring financial inclusion to more Filipinos.

Under this program, the state-run bank is also partnering with associations, rural banks, local government units, micro, small, and medium enterprises and private entities to help provide basic banking services on behalf of the bank.

The program benefits clients, including beneficiaries of the conditional cash transfer program of the national government, who currently need to travel to other towns and cities to conduct basic financial transactions.

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