The mayors of the four cities and two towns covered by the Central Negros Electric Cooperative franchise area are asking the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to temporarily suspend the plebiscite on the joint venture agreement (JVA) between CENECO and Primelectric Holdings Inc. to allow for verification of the voters list.
Mayors Alfredo Abelardo Benitez – Bacolod City, Nicholas Yulo – Bago City, Neil Lizares – Talisay City, Joedith Gallego – Silay City, Gerry Rojas – Murcia, and Marxlen dela Cruz- Salvador Benedicto sought the temporary suspension in a letter to NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda, which they signed on Monday July 3.
The plebiscite is being held for CENECO member-consumer-owners (MCOs) to vote “yes” or “no” to the JVA.
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.
They said based on those complaints they are urging the NEA to temporarily suspend the plebiscite and verify the list of voters to ensure its sanctity before the process is allowed to further proceed.
“We are convinced that this is the only way to ensure that this plebiscite reflects the real choice of the bonafide member-consumers of CENECO, to properly decide the fate of the JVA, they said.
They will be asking for a suspension of the plebiscite for at least a month to allow the cleansing of the list before proceeding, Benitez said.
The mayors also informed the NEA administrator that the JVA plebiscite “was significantly disturbed by members of an erring group who arrogated themselves to be the new set of directors of CENECO. They have in fact issued a directive to the employees of CENECO as its new management, even going as far as communicating the same to the Department of Education and the PNP to stop the plebiscite”.*