CONSUMERS group Power Watch Negros is seeking a dialogue with the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco), its top official said.
Wennie Sancho, secretary general of Power Watch Negros, said they wrote a letter to the cooperative’s president Dwight Carbon on Monday, December 9, considering the “unresolved electric power problems such as expensive electricity rates and power outages affecting productivity.”
Sancho said the purpose of the meeting is to open the line of communication between the member-consumers and management in order to address problems with end in view of improving their relationship.
“The role of Power Watch Negros is to serve as watchdog to ensure that the services of Ceneco are efficient for its members and their rights are not violated
During the dialogue, Power Watch Negros will again raise the issue of “power supply overcontracting” among Electric Power Purchase Agreements (Eppa) allegedly by Ceneco and its power suppliers.
As a matter of fact, the group has pending complaint with the Presidential Action Center on this issue in 2017, its secretary general said.
Power Watch Negros will also inquire into the status of pending administrative cases against some members of Ceneco Board before the National Electrification Administration (NEA).
Sancho said Power Watch Negros believes that transparency and accountability are principles that should govern all electric cooperatives because they are imbued with public interests.
Ceneco caters to the largest number of electric consumers in the province, including cities of Bacolod, Bago, Talisay and Silay, and towns of Murcia and Salvador Benedicto.
“Unfortunately, there are allegations that the process of power supply acquisition lacks transparency,” he said, adding that “some members of the Board in this cooperative appears to be ‘uncooperative’ whenever there are inquiries about “unused and excessive power supply acquisition in Ceneco.”