• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
With two more plebiscite days to go, the required votes for approval of the proposed Joint Venture Agreement between the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) and Negros Electric Power Corporation / Primelectric Holdings Inc. have already been achieved, and has been even surpassed, according to MORE Power media relations officer Jonathan Cabrera.
Of the 105,490 votes counted in the past six plebiscite days, Cabrera reported that Yes votes got 98,591, equivalent to 55.53 percent, compared to 6,899 No votes.
The approval of JVA needs only 88,870 votes to achieve the majority votes of 50 percent plus one, from the 177,737 eligible voters of CENECO member-consumers, he stressed.
The two remaining dates for the JVA plebiscite is slated on September 2 and 3.
Cabrera claimed that the JVA will help in payment of CENECO debts and its obligations to member consumers, upgrade and modernize its equipment and facilities, reduce power interruptions and system loss, among others, which will benefit its consumers.
Three Negros bishops earlier encouraged CENECO member-consumers to voice out their opinions in the ongoing plebiscite for the JVA proposal.
A joint pastoral statement issued by Bacolod Bishop Patricio Buzon, San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, and Kabankalan Bishop Louie Galvinez urged consumers to study the terms of JVA in careful details, make reasoned judgements on their impact and consequences, guided by the spirit of cooperativism, which has guided CENECO since its founding.
The Association of Independent Ministers in Negros Occ (AIM – NEGROS) also issued a statement supporting the ratification of JVA, stressing that it would be greatly beneficial to CENECO member consumers.
AIM Negros is composed of Church Pastors and Ministers of various Christian Churches in Negros.*
