By Mae Singuay
The alleged take over into the management of Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) was fake, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) said.
Vic Alvaro, NEA project supervisor, clarified that the alleged take over of the electric cooperative’s (EC) board was not recognized by the NEA.
Ernie Pineda, president of Ceneco’s member-consumer-owners (MCOs) group, and several individuals went to the distribution utility’s main building in Bacolod City yesterday, to allegedly seize the board of directors and general manager positions in the cooperative.
“NEA recognizes the legitimacy of the duly elected Ceneco board of directors led by President Jojit Yap,” Alvaro said.
“The [EC] operations are normal and unimpeded. Thus, the MCOs should not be unduly alarmed by the reported actions of an illegitimate group claiming to be the representatives of the MCOs,” he added.
EC board members, either elected or appointed, must comply with law and the pertinent NEA regulations, such as Republic Act 10531 and its implementing rules and regulations, and NEA’s Memorandum No. 2014-019.
“There are no shortcuts to membership in the EC board, as espoused by these impostors,” Alvaro said.
Meanwhile, Ceneco acting general manager Arnel Lapore said the group attempted to enter the board room after claiming that they replaced the interim general manager and the board of directors.
According to Alvaro, Pineda’s group, composed of around 150 members, are only recognized by NEA as MCOs.
He added that the board of directors is the one recognized by NEA as thousands of MCOs voted for them in an election.
“Whatever their move is just ‘self-appointed directors’ and this was not recognized by NEA,” Alvaro said.
He added the group did not represent the cooperative’s general membership.
Furthermore, Ceneco director Dwight Carbon asked where these people get their authority to declare themselves as interim directors.
“We all know that the mandate and the regulations are from NEA,” Carbon said.
Alvaro said if the group wants to take over the cooperative’s management and the board, they have to file administrative complaints against the legitimate directors.
The Ceneco managers council also denounced the illegal and unauthorized acts of Pineda in issuing the memorandum addressed to all the department managers and officers of the distribution utility relative to the appointment of an interim board and creation of a management committee.
“The said move is a clear usurpation of authority and a blatant disrespect to the legitimate and incumbent board of directors, duly elected by the MCOs and the NEA-appointed Ceneco acting general manager,” council president Leo Arimas said.
He added that this is absolutely an utter disregard of NEA’s supervisory and disciplinary authority over the electric cooperatives’ officers.
“We collectively stand in support and recognition of the incumbent board of directors under the leadership of Yap and Lapore,” Arimas said.
As far as he knew, Lapore had an appointment from NEA.
“My appointment has not been revoked as acting general manager of Ceneco,” he said.
The acting general manager assured the public that he coordinated with the Bacolod City Police Office to secure Ceneco’s offices in time for the plebiscite which starts today until Sunday, June 25, and on July 1, 2, 8, and 9.
The plebiscite is a requirement for the ratification of the joint venture agreement (JVA) between Ceneco and Primelectric Holdings, Inc./Negros Electric Power Corporation, to improve power distribution services in the cooperative’s franchise areas.
Earlier, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez appealed to city residents to vote “yes” for JVA.
The agreement will become effective once the majority (50 percent plus one) of Ceneco’s MCOs will ratify it in a plebiscite, through “yes” votes.
Lapore said there were only less than 200,000 consumer-members in Ceneco’s franchise areas in capital Bacolod City and Negros Occidental cities of Bago, Talisay and Silay; and the municipalities of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto, after the cooperative cleansed the list of members in good standing./MS, WDJ