THE Social Action Center (SAC) of the Diocese of Bacolod is reminding the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) to stop collecting the P232 million additional charges from the member-consumers.
SAC legal counsel Vicente Petierre III said Tuesday, August 7, that during the 42nd Annual General Membership Assembly (Agma) on July 1, there were two resolutions approved to defer the agenda for the referendum because Ceneco still needs to inform the member-consumers the advantages and disadvantages if it will be under the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), the Securities and Exchange Commission and if it will remain under National Electrification Administration (NEA); and directing the Ceneco Board and Management to suspend collecting the P232 million from the member consumers.
"All Ceneco officers were there, the general manager and board of directors, but unfortunately in our billing in the month of July, still Ceneco included the P232 million charges to the billing of all the member-consumers. They should stop it because there is still pending motion for reconsideration," he said.
SAC has a pending motion for reconsideration filed before the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on its ruling related to the supplemental agreement between Kepco-SPC Power Corporation (KSPC) and Ceneco.
Ceneco started collecting the additional charges of P0.0817 per kilowatt hour (kWh) to power consumers from the month of April in spite of their pending motion.
Petierre said Ceneco should follow the mandate by the general assembly because Ceneco is a cooperative and the assembly is the highest policy-making body.
"If in case the motion will be given a due course, who will refund the member consumers or how they will be able to recover because every month they are paying with KSPC," he said.
Petierre pointed out that Ceneco should answer this to the member-consumers.
He said they will send their letter today to Ceneco to remind them that they should stop collecting the additional charges because there was a resolution approved during the assembly.
"It is the duty of the board of directors to follow the policy direction of the member consumer owners (MCOs) and the officers of Ceneco, from the general manager or department heads, had no business to prevent the implementation of the resolution that was approved during the Agma. If they are opposing the resolution, they should oppose it during the Agma," he added.
Petierre disclosed that he will hold a meeting with Fr. Chris Gonzales, president of SAC, to discuss the possible legal action against the Ceneco officers and directors who intentionally and willingly defied the resolution passed during the assembly. (MAP)