CENTRAL Negros Electric Cooperative Inc. (Ceneco) general manager Sulpicio Lagarde Jr. said Tuesday, October 11, that the complaints filed against him by former Ceneco director Roy Cordova are all “recycled garbage.”
Lagarde said he already answered the allegations of Cordova because his complaints were the same as the complaints filed by Ceneco president Arnel Lapore against him before he was removed from his post.
On September 29, Cordova filed an administrative complaint against Lagarde before the National Electrification Administration (NEA) for gross incompetence and lack of knowledge in running an electric cooperative, and for exposing Ceneco to the highest system loss subsidy in the sum of more than P186 million, covering the period of 2012 to 2014.
Lagarde countered that the alleged system losses is not because of his incompetence, but because of the lack of capital expenditure (capex). The capex of Ceneco was not approved and resulted to the deterioration of their distribution system, the general manager said.
“This issue has been already cleared by NEA,” he said, adding that in 2014, NEA had issued a statement that there was no substantial increase in the system loss.
Lagarde also clarified that the procurement of bucket truck from the United States complied the bidding process.
“It was not only my decision to purchase the unit,” he said.
Lagarde said he will refer the case to his lawyer so they can file counter charges against Cordova.
