The Central Negros Electric Cooperative board members and acting general manager support the call of six mayors for the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to temporarily suspend the CENECO and Primelectric Holdings Inc. joint venture agreement (JVA) plebiscite pending verification of the list of voters.
CENECO acting general manager Arnel Lapore said on Tuesday, July 4, that they support the move because there is basis for the mayors’ request for cleansing of the list of voters.
The plebiscite is being held for CENECO member-consumer-owners to vote “yes” or “no” to the JVA.
Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Monday that they are asking for a one month suspension to allow for verification of the names of the CENECO member-consumer-owners on the voters list.
The mayors said they have received complaints from CENECO’s member-consumer-owners that their names were not included in the voters’ list, that some of the persons whose names are on the list are already deceased, and that others have already relocated or could no longer be found.
“We deem it proper to also call the attention of NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda to look into,” Lapore said.
They leave the cleansing of the voters’ list to the guidance of NEA, he said.
The NEA is equipped to do that because it has information technology personnel to handle such matters, Lapore said.
Lapore said he is not certain if NEA will suspend the scheduled plebiscite on July 8 and 9. They will just wait for NEA’s advise, he said.
Aside from Benitez, other mayors seeking the temporary suspension of the plebiscite are Nicholas Yulo – Bago City, Neil Lizares – Talisay City, Joedith Gallego – Silay City, Gerry Rojas – Murcia, and Marxlen dela Cruz- Salvador Benedicto whose areas are covered by the CENECO franchise.*