PREPARATIONS for the plebiscite approving the joint venture agreement (JVA) between More Power Inc. and Central Negros Electric Cooperative is going on, said Roel Castro, president and chief executive officer of More Power Inc.
The plebiscite is set on June 24 and 25, and July 1 and 2.
Castro said More Power welcomed the case that seeks to nullify the JVA it signed with Ceneco.
"We welcome this and let the court decide. But as long as there is no court order, we will continue to prepare for the plebiscite and conduct an information and education campaign together with Ceneco," he said.
Consumer advocates Rommel Pido, Aaron Sorbito, and former representative Pete Pico, representing Negros Consumers Watch and Anti-Ceneco JVA Coalition, with legal counsels Wax Apawan and Rey Gorgonio, filed a declaratory relief and declaration of nullity against the said JVA.
The filing also includes an application for the issuance of a Preliminary Injunction and a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO).
Aside from Castro, the named respondents were Ceneco directors Jojit Yap, Ariel Guides, Eugenio Velasco, Antonio Panique, Diwght Carbon, Noel Alarcon, and Nicanor Jison.
Ceneco and Primelectric Holdings, Inc./Negros Electric Power Corporation (NEPC) entered into a JVA on June 3, aimed at improving power distribution service in the cooperative's franchise areas.
Primelectric Holdings is a sister company of More Power, the sole power distributor in Iloilo City.
The JVA signing was witnessed by Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, Abang Lingkod party-list Representative Stephen Paduano, and the majority of the barangay captains of Bacolod City.
Ceneco has over 210,000 member-consumers from the cities of Bacolod, Silay, Talisay, and Bago, and the municipalities of Murcia and Salvador Benedicto in the province.
Ceneco acting general manager Arnel Lapore said the JVA gives the power cooperative "the opportunity to modernize its facilities, address the frequent brownouts, and tame its system losses, which reach P15 million to P20 million monthly."
For the list of voting centers and precincts for the conduct of the plebiscite, Ceneco designated Andres Bonifacio Elementary School for District 1 (Bacolod North) covering Barangays 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Bata, Mandalagan Ang Banago.
For District 2 (Bacolod South), it will be at Bacolod City National High School for Barangay Taculing, Felisa Elementary School for Barangay Felisa, Handumanan Elementary School for Barangay Handuman, Nessia Elementary School for Barangay Cabug, M. Medalla Integrated School for Barangay Pahanocoy, Sum-ag Elementary School for Barangay Sum-ag, E.R Flores Elementary for Barangay Punta Taytay, R. Medel Sr. Elementary School for Barangay Tangub and E. Garcia Elementary School for Barangay Tangub.
District 3 (Bacolod Central) will be at Mabini Elementary School for Barangays 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 40, and 41.
District 4 (Bacolod East) will be at C.L. Montelibano Elementary School for Barangays Villamonte and Montevista, Lizares Elementary School for Barangays Granada and Alangilan, Estefania Elementary School-Barangay Estefania, Vista Alegre Elementary School-Barangay Vista Alegre, A.L. Jayme Elementary School-Mansilingan, and Abkasa Elementary School for Barangay. Abkasa.
District 5 (Bacolod West) at Rizal Elementary School for Barangays 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 1, 21, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 and Singcang-Airport.
District 6 (Bago City) at Caridad Elementary School - Barangays Alianza, Sagasa, Caridad, Pacol and Bagroy; Cauntoy Elementary School - Barangays Dulao, Abunan, and Tabuanan; T. Morada Elementary School-Barangays Calumangan, Sampinit, Busay and Taloc; Bago City Elementary School-Bago Proper, Lag-asan, Balingasag; Ma-ao Elementary School- Mailum, Bacong Montilla Central, Ma-ao, Don Jorge, Bario Ma-ao, Ilijan and Binubuhan and B. Araneta Elementary-Anapoles, Malibgin and Atipuluan.
District 7 (Municipalities of Murcia and Salvador Benedicto) at Murcia Elementary School-Murcia Proper, Blumentrit and Canlandog; Cansilayan Elementary School-Barangay Cansilayan and Damsite; Agapito Malibong Elementary School-Barangays Caliban, Lopez Jaena, Pandanon Silos, San Miguel and Minoyan; Smile Village Elementary School-Barangays Salvacion, Alegria and Stay. Cruz; Iglau-an Elementary School- Barangays Iglau-an, Abo-abo and Buenavista; Talotog Elementary School- Barangays Talotog and Canlandog; Manuel Regalado Elementary School- Barangays Sta. Rosa and Amayco; Mercedes S. Ayeng Elementary School-Barangays Igmaya-an, Pandanon and Kumaliskis; Bagong Silang Elementary School-Barangays Bago and Bagong Silang and Bunga Integrated School- Barangays Bunga and Pina-uwayan.
District 8 (Talisay City) at South Elementary School-Talisay Poblacion, Catabla and Bubog; Concepcion Elementary School-Barangays Conception and Cabatangan; Dos Hermanas Elementary School-Barangays Dos Hermanas and Katilingban; Enrique Lizares Elementary School-Barangay Efehenio Lizares; Simplicio Lizares Elementary School-Barabgay Matab-ang and San Fernando Elementary School-Barangay San Fernando.
District 9 (Silay City) at Guinhalaran Elementary School-Barangays Guinhalaran and Mambulac; Don Albino & Doña Dolores Jison Elementary School-Barangays Mambag-id and Balaring; Lantad Elementary School-Barangays Lantad, Luguay and Adela; Silay North Elementary School- Barangay Rizal and Silay Proper; Sto. Rosario Elementary School-Barangays Bagtic and Guimbala-on; E. Lopez Elementary School-Barangay E. Lopez and Patag Elementary School-Barangays Patag and Kapitan Ramon.