(UPDATES) THE Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the preventive suspension of Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Chairman Monalisa Dimalanta for six months for allowing the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to buy electricity on the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) and pass the cost to consumers without the ERC's approval. The Office of the Ombudsman issued the order based on the complaint filed by the National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms Inc. (Nasecore), which alleged that Dimalanta's action was a violation of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act. "The 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," the Ombudsman said. It added Dimalanta's continued stay in office may prejudice the complaint filed against her. The Office of the Ombudsman's rules of procedure allow preventive suspension without pay of a respondent if the Ombudsman finds strong evidence of guilt. The order, signed by Ombudsman Samuel Martires, said the suspension will last until his office finishes its investigation of the case against her, but will not exceed six months. The suspension, the office said, is not a penalty. This order stemmed from a complaint filed by the consumer group Nasecore in November 2023, seeking accountability in Dimalanta's alleged part in permitting Meralco to buy electricity from WESM and allegedly billing consumers without obtaining the necessary approval from the whole ERC. Dimalanta said she has yet to receive a copy of the order and would comment on it once she does.