THE Joint Venture Agreement between Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) and More Power Corp. received 78 percent “yes" votes from the member-consumers during the first two days of the plebiscite held over the weekend, June 24-25.
Only 22% voted “no” based on the data released by the Overall Plebiscite Committee, which is led by Atty. Eduardo Padios with the Ceneco Board of Directors as canvassers.
A total of 27,741 consumer-members cast their votes. At least 21,671 voted “yes,” while 6,067 voted “no.”
The plebiscite will continue on July 1 and 2 and on July 8 and 9.
Ceneco and More Power signed a joint venture agreement (JVA) on June 3, to modernize and improve power distribution in its franchise area.
The plebiscite is being conducted for the approval of Ceneco member-consumers.
The Ceneco franchise area covers Bacolod, Silay, Talisay, and Bago cities, as well as Salvador Benedicto and Murcia towns in Negros Occidental.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Vice Governor Eugenio Jeffrey Ferrer are backing the JVA for more stable and reliable power distribution, as well as Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez.
Benitez said that he was satisfied with the presentation of More Electric and Power Corporation, as it met his three conditions, including the reduction of electricity rates, reduced power interruptions, and tapping of renewable energy generators.
The mayor called on Bacolodnons to vote “yes” for JVA during the plebiscite.
Benitez said that he got a favorable endorsement from Mayor Jerry Treñas, citing their experiences with More Power in Iloilo City.
Seventy percent of Ceneco’s 210,000 member-consumers are in Bacolod City, with the remaining 30 percent in the cities of Silay, Talisay, Bago, and towns of Murcia, and Salvador Benedicto.
Meanwhile, a Ceneco member-consumer, Raquel Del Carpio, has filed a complaint affidavit against the Board before the National Electrification Administration.
The complaint was sent to NEA on June 23 through the Philippine Post Office (PhilPost).
The complaint claimed that the respondents have violated their fiduciary duties as trustees of the cooperative and had acted beyond the authority provided to them through the cooperative by-laws.
“The signing of the JVA, which contains provisions regarding the transfer of all distribution assets to the Negros Electric Power Corporation (NEPC), is outside of the said authorities delegated by the MCOS to the BOD as stated in the By-laws,” it added.*