- CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Central Negros Electric Cooperative Wednesday suspended the July 8 and 9 plebiscite on its Joint Venture Agreement with Primelectric Holdings Inc., “until further notice”.
Ceneco was directed by National Electrification Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda July 4 to “suspend the conduct of the plebiscite for a period not exceeding 60 days”.
He added that there “exists valid grounds to grant” the July 3 request of the six mayors in the franchise coverage of the electric cooperative to suspend the plebiscite, pending the cleansing of the master list of member-consumers to ensure the sanctity of the voters’ list.
Mayors Alfredo Benitez of Bacolod, Nicholas Yulo of Bago, Neil Lizares III of Talisay, Joedith Gallego of Silay, Gerry Rojas of Murcia, and Laurence Marxlen dela Cruz of Don Salvador Benedicto said in their letter to Almeda that they received complaints from Ceneco consumer-members that their names were not included in the voters’ list, which also contains the names of those who were either dead, had relocated, or can no longer be found.
“Much weight is likewise given to the attempted undue ‘takeover’ of Ceneco and the public demonstration outside of the NEA building,” Almeda said in his memorandum to Ceneco.
He also echoed the mayors’ stand on the need “to ensure that this plebiscite reflects the real choice of the bonafide member-consumers of Ceneco, to properly decide the fate of the JVA, whether it is approved or disapproved”.
Almeda, in granting the request for assistance of the mayors, said the NEA will verify and confirm the accuracy of the plebiscite’s voters list to ensure that only those eligible to vote are included.
The agency, which has supervisory powers over electric cooperatives, like Ceneco, also committed to “secure any and all systems, protocols, and/or procedures used to carry out the plebiscite, to ensure that these conform with the verified and confirmed voters list to be vetted by the NEA.”
Almeda said that NEA has no interest on whether the JVA is approved or disapproved.
“It is, however, concerned with the protection of the rights of Ceneco’s MCOs in that their votes are properly accounted for, and that the legitimate processes wherein they exercise these rights are protected.
“To ensure that the MCOs’ rights are not disenfranchised and whatever result may arise from the plebiscite is indeed a true reflection of their collective will, the voters list must indeed be verified, purged of ineligible voters, and that the names of those eligible to vote be included,” he added./CGC
