Beneco MCOS stage rally against NEA appointees

 CDA snubs ‘oath-taking’ of ex-Palace exec 

By Alfred P. Dizon

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Placard-waving member-consumers-owners (MCOs) of Benguet Electric Cooperative rallied in front of the Benguet State University here Thursday against what they called an illegal assembly of National Electrification Administration-backed appointees to top positions of the power firm.
    The MCOS said the La Trinidad mayor’s office did not issue a permit for the assembly attended by NEA administrator Emmanuel Juaneza.
    Cooperative Development Authority officials snubbed the event. CDA Undersecretary Joseph Encabo who was invited as guest did not attend earning praises from MCOs.
    Beneco is already registered with the CDA and the NEA should stop minding the power cooperative’s business, MCOs said.
    They added what CDA officials did in not attending the event was the proper thing to do.          
    Anti-Covid health protocols were not also followed during the event, they said, adding the IATF did not also issue a permit for the event attended by a so-called “hakot” crowd.
    Public utility jeeps full of elderly men and women were reportedly brought to the BSU closed gym to witness the supposed oath-taking of a former Palace official to head Beneco.
    Juaneza reportedly administered the oath-taking of the non-Beneco member attended by non-member consumers which         MCOs said, was contrary to rules and regulations.    
    When a participant was asked why they went to the event, she said, they were only told by organizers that they would be attending an oath-taking wherein Beneco policies would be explained.   
    The MCOs said they wanted to enter the gym to ask what was happening since they were not given notices about this but were denied entry by BSU security guards and police who said they were just following orders of “higher ups.”         
    Beneco general manager engineer Melchor Licoben addressed rallyists along the highway urging MCOs to be vigilant about concerted efforts to take over Beneco, considering it was one of the top power cooperatives of the country with an AAA rating.
    This, as passing motorists honked their horns in support to Beneco MCOs.
    Reports earlier said top government officials wanted to privatize Beneco for a power firm from the South even if all local government units of Baguio and Benguet issued resolutions and manifestos against privatization of Beneco and appointment of NEA-backed officials to the power cooperative who were not MCOs.     
    Licoben still heads Beneco operations as general manager along with seven board directors with support from MCOs who refused to back down to NEA machinations to install their appointees to the power firm.
    MCOS have backed incumbent Beneco officials and retook Beneco from the NEA appointees a day after they with police staged a takeover of the power firm at its main headquarters in South Drive, Baguio City late last year.      
    The Senate and Lower House earlier told NEA to maintain status quo over Beneco, meaning Licoben and the seven board of directors should be allowed to do their duties considering the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court have yet to decide on the management controversy.
    Despite, this, the NEA until now, is reportedly trying to take over the power firm by installing its appointees.
    This was illegal, MCOs said, since only the board of directors can appoint general managers of power cooperatives like Beneco.
    Licoben’s credentials, MCOs said, was above board and he was the most qualified for the position while the NEA appointee did not meet qualifications set by the NEA itself. 
    The Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association Inc. (Philreca) had opposed policy revisions set by the NEA on the hiring as well as termination or service suspension of general managers (GMs) designated for electric cooperatives.
    “We call on NEA to stop making a mockery of the law and national institutions, and to stop harassing and inflicting injustices to the electric cooperatives, the government’s staunch partner in rural electrification,” Philreca said in a statement. NEA issued memorandum 2021-055 to alter the policy on the “selection, hiring, termination of service/suspension for GMs of electric cooperatives,” while memorandum 2021-056 delved on “guidelines on the conduct of examination and interview for applicants.
    Philreca said “instead of empowering and enabling electric cooperatives to cope with the changes brought about by the restructuring of the electric power industry, NEA’s new memoranda removed all the requirements for a competent general manager.
    An earlier NEA rule required that applicants for GM of electric cooperatives should have at least two years experience in an electric cooperative and must be an electrical engineer among others. 
    Licoben had met all the criteria, being an electrical engineer  while the NEA appointee had not.
    MCOs said they will hold on against the takeover of Beneco by government or any entity until after the elections when a new administration will take over the country that is favorable to Beneco