BY CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
Advocates of Amlig Kuriente said that the suspended members of the Board of Directors (BOD) of Central Negros Electric Cooperative deserve to be perpetually disqualified from holding public office and not just suspended.
Former Bacolod councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr., one of the convenors of Amlig Kuriente, yesterday said the suspension order of the National Electrification Administration (NEA) against members of the Ceneco BOD, namely Jojit Yap, Robert Javellana, Martha Joyce Cuenca, Fr. Ernie Larida, Antonio Panique, Eugene Velasco and former Ceneco general manager/NEA project supervisor Danny Pondevilla, was erroneous.
“We are seeking their disqualification from holding public office because they have no authority stay any longer due to incompetence and dishonesty,” he said.
Gamboa said they will file a motion for intervention if the main complaint, Power Watch-Negros secretary general Wennie Sancho, will not act on the motion for reconsideration filed by the suspended Ceneco officials. Sancho filed the complaint against the six Ceneco officials for the extension of a 20- megawatt power supply contract with Kepco-Salcon Power Corp. (KSPC) in 2021.
He said they want to correct the statement of the BOD that their suspension was due to simple procedural lapses. They could have been meted the extreme penalty of gross neglect of duty, grave misconduct, disloyalty, and action prejudicial to the interest of the cooperative and consumer-members.
“This is now the reason why we are paying higher cost of electricity. And because of this, Ceneco’s cash flow or liquidity is in dire straits, thus the implementation of the “One Bill Policy” because it has no funds to buy power from the Wholesale Electric Spot Market in cash,” Gamboa said.
This is also the reason why Ceneco cannot refund its consumers and pay the benefits of its employees, he said.
Gamboa said he feels sad because this will lead the way to privatization.*
