PEACEFUL PLEBISCITE: Ceneco heightens security, ‘no entry to impostors’

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By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) general manager, Atty. Arnel Lapore said Sunday that security will be tightened at the distribution utility’s office starting today, June 26, 2023.

This, after a group opposing Ceneco’s Joint Venture Agreement (JVA)  with a private firm entered the DU’s premises in a “takeover” attempt Friday.

“We already requested police augmentation,” Lapore told Daily Guardian here.

He added that security personnel at the entrance of the Ceneco office were already instructed not to allow the group headed by Ernie Pineda to enter the premises.

Pineda, who claimed he is the president of the Ceneco-Members, Consumers, Owners (MCOs), appointed himself as director together with four others and also appointed an acting general manager.

National Electrification Administration (NEA) project supervisor Atty. Vic Alvaro, who was at the press conference of Ceneco executives Friday declared the move of Pineda’s group as illegal.

Alvaro said, “NEA recognizes the legitimacy of the duly elected Ceneco Board of Directors led by Board President Jojit Yap.”

“The EC (electric cooperative) operations are normal and unimpeded. Thus, the MCOs should not be unduly alarmed by the reported actions of an illegitimate group claiming to be the representatives of the MCOs. Members of the EC Board are either elected or appointed but must comply with the requirements set forth by law and the pertinent NEA regulations (Republic Act 10531 and its implementing rules and regulations, and NEA Memorandum No. 2014-019). There are no shortcuts to membership in the EC board as espoused by these impostors,” he added.

Lapore said the group of Pineda entered the premises of the distribution utility and went up to the third floor where the boardroom is located.

He added that the group decided to leave the premises as security and police personnel were requested to step in.

Lapore said he believes that the group was able to enter the premises with the help of inside personnel.

He pointed out that Ceneco employees who may have aided the group of Pineda will not be allowed to enter.

He added that there is already an investigation on why the group of Pineda was able to enter Ceneco premises.

Ceneco employees found to have connived with Pineda and his companions will be sanctioned, Lapore said.

Meanwhile, Lapore said that the first two days of the JVA plebiscite, June 24 and 25, 2023 were peaceful and orderly.

He said the initial result showed the “yes vote” dominating the polls after 13,587 of the 17,335 MCOs who cast their ballots voted in favor of the JVA.

The plebiscite will continue on July 1-2 and July 8-9, 2023.

The majority (50 percent plus 1) of the 192,188 eligible voters must vote yes to ratify the JVA with PrimeElectric Holdings, the principal company of Negros Electric and Power Corp. (NEPC) which will become the JVA company.

MORE Power in Iloilo City is also a subsidiary of PrimeElectric.