BACOLOD City – The National Electrification Administration (NEA) does not recognize the alleged takeover at the board and management of Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) yesterday.
“NEA recognizes the legitimacy of the duly elected Ceneco board of directors led by President Jojit Yap,” said Atty. Vic Alvaro, project supervisor of NEA.
On Friday, Ernie Pineda, president of the member-consumer-owners (MCO) of Ceneco, along with several members went to the main building of Ceneco to supposedly take over the board of directors and general manager positions in the cooperative.
“The MCOs should not be unduly alarmed by the reported actions of an illegitimate group claiming to be the representatives of the MCOs,” said Alvaro.
He also assured the public that Ceneco’s operations remained normal and unimpeded.
“The members of the Ceneco board are either elected or appointed but must comply with the requirements set forth by law and the pertinent NEA regulations (Republic Act 10531 and its implementing rules and regulations), and NEA Memorandum No. 2014-019. There are no shortcuts to membership in the board,” stressed Alvaro.
Ceneco acting general manager Arnel Lapore the said group attempted to enter the board room after claiming that they replaced the board of directors and general manager as interim officials.
According to Alvaro, the group of Pineda was composed only of about 150 members, and they were only recognized by NEA as MCOs, and even as MCOs they do not represent the general membership of the cooperative.
On the other hand, the duly elected members of the board of directors are the ones recognized by NEA because thousands of MCOs voted for them through a regular election, said Alvaro.
Meanwhile, the Council of Managers of Ceneco denounced Pineda’s issuance of a memorandum addressed to all department managers/officers of Ceneco relative to the so called interim board and creation of a management committee.
Such move is usurpation of authority and a blatant disrespect to the legitimate and incumbent board of directors duly elected by member-consumer-owners, as well as the NEA-appointed acting general manager, according to Leo Arimas, president of the Council of Managers.
“We collectively stand in support and recognition of the incumbent board of directors under the leadership of Yap and Lapore,” Arimas stressed.
For his part, Lapore said that as far as he knew, “My appointment has not been revoked as acting general manager of Ceneco.”
He assured the public that he already coordinated with the Bacolod City Police Office to secure the office of Ceneco as well as the conduct of the plebiscite which starts today, June 24, and on June 25, July 1, 2, 8, and 9.
The plebiscite is a requirement for the ratification of the joint venture agreement (JVA) between Ceneco and Primelectric Primelectric Holdings, Inc. / Negros Electric Power Corporation (NEPC) to improve power distribution service in the cooperative’s franchise areas.
Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez is asking the people of Bacolod to vote “yes” in favor of the JVA.
The JVA will become effective once majority (50 percent plus one) of Ceneco’s MCOs will ratify it.
As of June 23, Lapore said, there were less than 200,000 consumer-members in the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Talisay and Silay, and the towns of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto in Negros Occidental after the cooperative cleansed its list of members of good standing./PN
