AN ADMINISTRATIVE complaint was filed before the National Electrification Administration (NEA) against Central Negros Electric Cooperative Inc. (Ceneco) general manager Sulpicio Lagarde Jr. last week.
The five-page complaint dated September 29, 2016 was lodged by former Ceneco director Roy Cordova.
Cordova’s complaint included a prayer that “a subpoena be issued directing the Internal Audit Division to submit all pertinent records of the transactions to the AdCom for its perusal and disposal pending investigation.”
It also asked that “Lagarde be placed under preventive suspension, be dismissed from service for gross misconduct, gross incompetence and gross negligence of duty; and (required) to pay Ceneco for the damages inflicted against the cooperative and forfeiture of his benefits and disqualifying him perpetually from employment with electric cooperatives.”
Cordova said he is filing a complaint against Lagarde due to his gross incompetence and lack of knowledge in running an electric cooperative and has exposed Ceneco to the highest system loss subsidy in the sum of more than P186 million, covering the period of 2012 to 2014.
He added that in 2009, Lagarde purchased a bucket truck from the United States for more than P40 million inclusive of freight value added tax, and other incidental expenses.
In 2014, Lagarde entered into a donation agreement with Busong, a Korean company affiliated with Kepco, involving several power substation equipment and transformer, he added.
Cordova said that in 2013, Lagarde also sold several scrap materials to the different bidders of Ceneco.
From 2009 to 2014, Lagarde has been receiving salary and allowances far from what was approved by NEA knowing fully that he is not entitled to receive the same as the excess amount is without the approval of NEA, he added.
He said from 2009 and 2014, Lagarde was assigned a Shell gasoline fleet card being a manager of Ceneco.
Lagarde cannot be reached for comment as of press time.