EMPLOYEES of the Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco) have spoken.
If the elections were held today, Jose Molintas and Oscar Camantiles would be the mayor of Baguio City and Benguet Governor, respectively, during a mock election on Monday.
A leaders forum on energy was also held on the same day but was only attended by Molintas and retired judge Edilberto Claravall for Baguio and Camantiles and Jack Dulnuan for Benguet.
The forum touched subjects on energy, electric distribution, and the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) which affects consumers and power industry providers as well.
Beneco folk voted Molintas as the top choice for mayor with 84 votes, followed by Claravall with 27 while tailing in last is incumbent mayor Maurico Domogan with nine votes.
For Benguet governor, Camantiles was the runaway winner with 81 votes, followed by Jack Dulnuan with 14, Nelson Dangwa with 10 and Melchor Diclas with two votes.
Beneco voters were asked to choose a mayor for the city and a governor for the province whose names are contained in one ballot and were asked to shade the circle beside the name of their choice.
Beneco General Manager Gerardo Verzosa said the forum was aimed to know the views of each candidate on energy concerns for the areas of Baguio and Benguet as mayor and governor will play a big role in the decisions to be made for the power sector.
Versoza siad he was hoping the candidates would expound on the issue of the dormant Asin Hydro Power Plants which has ceased operations.
“I was hoping for more specific plans for the Asin Hydro Plants,” Versoza said.
The Department of Energy Secretary recently lauded efforts of Beneco as one of the top performing cooperatives in the country garnering a Triple A rating.
Beneco was organized and was registered as non–stock, non–profit service-oriented entity on October 5, 1973. The sole franchise to operate an electric light and power service in Baguio City and Benguet for 50 years was granted to the coop.