Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on Energy, stressed that the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has a definitive role in safeguarding the interests of the public and should “provide greater confidence that regulatory decisions are made on an objective, impartial and consistent basis, without conflict of interest, bias or improper influence” during a hearing, Tuesday, January 16, 2018. Gatchalian is the author of the proposed ERC Governance Act of 2017, which seeks to ensure transparency and greater accountability in the regulation of the distribution and transmission sector of the country’s power industry. Also in photo is Senator Loren Legarda. (Photo by Albert Calvelo)