NegOcc guv defends backing Ceneco-Primelectric JVA

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Is it moral or even legal for local officials to dabble in forays of private businesses like the joint venture agreement (JVA) between Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) and Primelectric Holdings Inc. of billionaire Enrique K. Razon?

For Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, there is nothing wrong for him, or for other local government executives, to express their support to the JVA.

Lacson made the reaction in the wake of criticisms that local chief executives involved themselves in the private business of Ceneco and Primelectric.

The governor said he is a Ceneco consumer too, thus he has a say on the matter.

“Don’t look at us only as public officials, we are also consumers”, Lacson said on Monday, stressing also that some of them are even paying big amounts for power on a monthly basis because of their businesses.

The JVA is up for a plebiscite to secure the ratification of majority (50 percent plus 1 person) of the over 190,000 consumers who are eligible to vote.

But the National Electrification Administration (NEA) suspended the plebiscite for 60 days in response to a request from mayors within Ceneco’s franchise area to verify the exact number of member-consumers who are qualified to join.

Lacson said as long as they do not coerce others to toe the line, he sees nothing with their overt expression of support.

“Just because we are officials, we can’t anymore endorse whom we feel will be a better management. I don’t think there is anything wrong, as long as there is no coercion happening. I think any public official has the right to express their sentiments,” he added.

Negros Occidental Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer and Abang Lingkod Rep. Stephen Joseph Paduano also aired their support for the JVA, even campaigning for Ceneco member-consumers to vote yes.

Ceneco acting general manager Atty. Arnel Lapore said NEA has started the cleansing of the list of consumer members.

Lapore said they are coordinating and helping NEA in the cleansing of the list, noting that some of the members may have already died, or transferred their residences.

On the other hand, Power Watch Negros secretary general Wennie Sancho expressed his concern about the possible attempt to sabotage the JVA plebiscite.

In his letter to Lapore, Sancho said employees and supervisors of Ceneco who have direct access to records or files of the electric cooperative voter’s list should be transferred to other departments, as he raised the possibility of bloating the voter’s list.

A plebiscite is an expression of the people’s sovereign will for the approval or disapproval of the JVA, therefore the sanctity of the voter‘s list is our primordial concern for purposes of transparency and accountability, he stressed.