NEA Beneco ‘takeover’ divides pols, MCOs

Interim Board selection hit

BAGUIO CITY – The “takeover” of the Benguet Electric Cooperative by the National Electrification Administration on Jan. 11 has created disunity among member-consumer-owners of the power firm and government officials.
    MCOs questioned assumption of an interim board saying it should have been MCOs who should have been allowed to ecide on the matter.
    Some government officials in Baguio and Benguet holding political posts also had different takes on the matter.
    Others said they disapproved of the NEA “takeover,” and called for reinstatement of the board of directors dubbed “Magnificent 7,”considering they were already “reinstated” by MCOs in general assembly last year.
    They also called for immediate reinstatement of general manager engineer Melchor Licoben who was suspended by NEA for 45 days.  
    But others said this was an opportunity to make the power coop more transparent and efficient.  
    A source said the Baguio City Council was not consulted prior to the “takeover.”
    Same case with Benguet provincial government officials, other sources said.
    This, as Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said “everything is going back to normal with the interim board of which members represent the different sectors of the Baguio and Benguet communities.”
    The mayor urged “some politicians unceremoniously dipping their fingers in the Beneco issue to stop sowing intrigues and telling lies to push their ulterior motives, political and otherwise.
    “It is not helping.  Besides Baguio and Benguet people can solve their issues on their own so better leave us be,” the mayor said.
     The mayor commended Licoben “for being a true gentleman and professional.”
    He assured Licoben of the local government’s continued support when he applies anew for the general manager post.  
    Licoben continues to enjoy overwhelming backing from other local government units, member-consumers organizations and civil society organizations.
    Members of Beneco Employees Union (BELU) and Beneco Supervisors Association (BSA) meanwhile said they have mixed feelings about the NEA “takeover.”
    Select members, along with MCO representatives were reportedly summoned to the NEA headquarters in Manila earlier.
    When the Beneco board of directors aligned with Licoben learned about it and tried to join the meeting, they were reportedly shoed away.
    Following this, NEA took over Beneco.
    On “takeover” day, Mayor Magalong, along with SWAT police reportedly went around 7:30 a.m. to the Beneco main headquarters in South Drive.
    A few moments later, NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda and some new faces reportedly joined them.
    One reportedly told Licoben, “Puede kang magfile ng kaso, pero isipin mo din, gobyerno ang kinakalaban mo dito (You can file a case, but bear in mind, it will be government you will be fighting.”
    Until now, MCOs for and against the takeover are still taking potshots at each other over the issue on social media, observers said.      
    This, as members of the Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club and independent media urged the new Beneco management to allow them to attend meetings, particularly those by the interim board for transparency and so the public will know what is happening in Beneco, considering they are also MCOs or paying power consumers.
    This, after the NEA fired lawyer Ana Maria Paz Rafael as so-called Beneco general manager and dissolved its board of directors.
    NEA officials said they wanted to restore normalcy in the cooperative wracked with controversy on who should sit as the GM ever since the NEA appointed Rafael as GM.
    But despite this, MCOS supported Licoben who had been running Beneco until the NEA “takeover.” 
    Led by Almeda, the NEA served on Rafael a copy of NEA resolution 2023-02 dated Jan. 10, 2022 that ruled     Rafael failed to meet key performance standards for Beneco that resulted to the cooperative’s regression from a category Triple A to a category B electric cooperative.
    The order of dismissal said Rafael’s probationary appointment was being recalled and revoked effective immediately to foster industrial peace.
    In a separate ruling, the NEA also found the board directors liable for three counts of administrative offenses one of which merited the penalty of removal from office.
    Dismissed were board directors Esteban Somngi, Mike Maspil, Robert Valentin, Josephine Tuling, Jeffred Acop, Peter Busaing, Jonathan Obar (who allied with Melchor Licoben as GM) and Rocky Aliping, Enrique Moresto, James Aclopen and Luke Gomeyac (who allied with Rafael as GM).
    The NEA barred them to run as directors in the future saying their liability disqualified them from any intent to reclaim their seats. 
    Licoben, who the board unanimously named and appointed as GM in April, 2020, was suspended for “non-compliance to NEA rules.”
    The NEA designated Ramel Rifani, network services department manager, as acting GM for six months.
    Rifani is now working with a five man multi-sectoral task force the NEA formed to perform functions of the board of directors in the interim and to whom Almeda gave the order to call for district elections within six months.
    The task force who took their oath last week, is chaired by Steve Cating (business sector) while other members are George Dumawing (customer/professional sector), Rodolfo de Guia (religious sector), Elma Donaal (academe/education sector), and Joaquin Geronimo Depalog Jr. (agriculture sector).
    The NEA’s decision is expected to court a slew of court cases,
    Rafael assailed the NEA for firing her, saying her inability to make a turn-around for Beneco’s operations was caused by NEA’s failure to turn over Beneco premises to her leadership.
    In a post, she said that she will explore legal remedies, claiming the bases to unseat her were skewed and whimsical.
    The directors allied with Licoben, meanwhile, were readying their petition to be filed before the Court of Appeals.
    Jefferd Monang, BELU president, said while the employees welcomed Rafael’s dismissal, but they felt sad that Licoben was suspended in his capacity as assistant general manager and will return in the same capacity after serving the suspension.
    Almeda told the employees that Licoben’s appointment as GM by the board in 2020 did not complete the process that must follow such appointment that’s why he was still recognized in his former position as assistant GM.  
    “Rafael is out and we are thankful for that,” Monang said. “But we do hope that the NEA will still confirm GM Licoben as our GM since the recruitment process that resulted to Rafael being named as GM clearly breached NEA’s rules of GM selection,” he said.

Edison de Guzman, BSA president, said that the NEA must consider the decision of the member consumer owners during the annual general membership assembly in 2021 and 2022 that affirmed the choice of Licoben as GM. 

Almeda said he understood the sentiments and overwhelming support given to Licoben but said NEA had to step in to solve the GM fiasco and allow Beneco to recoup its standing as a Triple A electric cooperative.

The NEA chief added Licoben can reapply as GM once the NEA announces the opening of the vacancy for the position.

Asked if Rafael can still apply, Almeda said any person has the right to apply. “But this time, we will ensure the procedure of recruitment and qualifications for the position will be observed to the letter,” he said. -- AD