By MERLINDA A. PEDROSA

The Bacolod City council requested Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco), through its acting General Manager Arnel Lapore and President Dwight Carbon, to provide their audited financial report from the time the cooperative sold its power assets to Negros Electric and Power Corp. (Negros Power).

In a resolution, Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr., chairperson of the committee on human rights, said Negros Power was incorporated and assumed the operation of Ceneco power assets on July 31, 2024.

“In the spirit of transparency and good governance, Ceneco should provide a yearly financial report to be examined by its member-owners,” he said.

Gamboa claimed that Ceneco’s member-owners are left with no information about the cooperative’s financial standing on the P1.9 billion total assets, which comprise 70 percent being sold to the distribution utility.

The council also requested Ceneco to provide bill deposit statements; collection of bills during the transition from August 1, 2024 up to the issuance of Negros Power’s Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity; and Ceneco’s account receivables amounting to more than P1 billion.

Gamboa said Ceneco has not conducted any general assembly for its member-owners from the time its power assets were sold through a joint venture agreement with Negros Power from July 31, 2024.

Ceneco still owns a 30 percent share of the distribution utility.

Gamboa disclosed that a copy of the resolution will also be provided to National Electrification Administration Administrator Emmanuel Juaneza./MAP, WDJ