By Mae Singuay
The Power Watch Negros (PWN) lambasted the Responsible Supervisors and Confidential Union of Employees (RESCUE) of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) for opposing the proposed joint venture agreement (JVA) between MORE Electric and Power Corporation and the Negros-based electric cooperative.
PWN secretary general Wennie Sancho said the protest-rally that was spearheaded by the RESCUE against the proposed JVA was “a ploy to put the agreement in the bad light,” out of their fear that they may not retain their supervisory and confidential positions.
This includes their excessive salaries, fat bonuses and allowances in “confusing abundance,” Sancho said.
“Without fear of contradiction, it is very clear that their opposition against the JVA is to protect their own vested interest and not that of the consumers as they had claimed, he added.
He cited that RESCUE had already come to the conclusion that the JVA is detrimental to the consumers based on their “gist,” even if they had not read the terms and conditions of the proposed agreement.
“They were like the prophets of doom, involved in a ‘guessing game’ based on their own misunderstanding of the JVA because of their insecurities in their security of tenure as middle management workers,” Sancho said.
“These Ceneco apologists are masquerading themselves as consumer advocates, which could be an act of hypocrisy according to some observers,” he added.
The PWN said they respect the rights of the people to peaceably assemble for redress of grievances, particularly if it involves moral and legal issues.
Unfortunately, their declaration that the JVA is detrimental is a sweeping conclusion of an agreement that is to be debated and to be drafted yet, Sancho claimed.
He explained that their group has agreed with the management of Ceneco that the opposition against the JVA is premature and baseless.
Sancho said that the PWN is open to the JVA as long as it is intended to advance the welfare of the consumers, but they will be the first to reject it if it is grossly disadvantageous to the consumers.
“Contracts like the JVA should be above board and do not violate the law to be acceptable to us,” he pointed out.
“If this upcoming JVA is intended to rehabilitate and overhaul the power infrastructure of Ceneco, in order to level up its technical operation as the platform of the JVA in applying the state-of-the-art technologies and gadgets in order to correct the dismal failure of Ceneco in providing affordable, reliable and efficient power supply, we will not interpose any objection against the JVA,” Sancho said.
Those who are opposing the JVA are against progress and development, he added.
Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Benitez is in favor of the JVA, but for three conditions: If Ceneco can lower its electricity rates, no more power outages, and if it’s using renewable energy./MS, WDJ