Robredo urges NEA to address Beneco employees' concerns

Published December 06, 2021 07:48 PM By CONSUELO MARQUEZ,GMA News

Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday urged the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to heed the concerns of Benguet Electric Cooperative's (Beneco) officers and employees on the cooperative's new general manager.

Beneco's member consumers earlier criticized NEA for intervening in the process of choosing the group's new officer.

Under the NEA memorandum 2017-35

, the electric cooperative board has the power to select the general manager of their choice.

Robredo explained that the NEA's role in choosing Beneco's leadership must make sure that the appointed officials are qualified.

She also insisted that Beneco board members have the right to appoint their leaders.

"Sino ‘yung may karapatan maghalal, o sino ‘yung may karapatan para mag-appoint? Ang may karapatan mag-appoint ‘di ba ‘yung board? Ang may karapatan mag-appoint ‘yung board, ano ‘yung role ng NEA?" said Robredo in a press conference in Baguio City.

(Who has the right to elect their official? Who has the right to appoint? The board has the right to appoint, but what is the role of NEA?)

"Ang role niya lang is to make sure na ‘yung mga tumatakbo ay na-screen nila. Na-screen nila na siya ay nag fifit sa mga qualifications. Ito may mga hindi nasunod, ano ‘yung isang hindi nasunod? Required na ‘yung GM ay dapat member consumer, bakit kailangan na member consumer? Bakit ganoon ‘yung regulation? Kasi ‘yung GM kailangan mulat siya sa mga lokal na realities saka mga issues," she added.

(The NEA's role is to make sure that they screen all those who are aspiring for leadership. They screen them if they fit the qualifications. But this wasn't followed, what was not followed? The GM must be a member consumer, why do they need it to be a member consumer? Because the GM must be aware of local realities and issues.)

To ensure that standards in the electric cooperative are fulfilled, Robredo also urged the NEA to become an "effective partner" for electric cooperatives in Beneco.

"Dapat ‘yung role na pineplay niya very effective partner na tinutulungan niya ‘yung mga electric cooperatives na matawid ‘yung mga pangangailangan ng electric cooperatives maka- ma-com- ma-fulfill ‘yung mga standards, ma-comply ‘yung mga kailangang abutin," she said.

(The role of a NEA must be an effective partner that helps electric cooperatives and address the needs of electric cooperatives to fulfill the standards and comply with their goals.)

"Dapat ganoon ‘yung relationship. Hindi nakakatulong sa member consumers ‘yung pagdidiin ng NEA, ‘yung pagpipilit na, pagpipilit na masunod ang kanilang kagustuhan. So sa ‘kin, ang kailangan dito i-congratulate ‘yung mga member consumers na hindi tinake, hind tinake ‘yung matter, di ba? Matahimik na, matamik na vigilance pero hindi pumayag na hindi sila ‘yung pakinggan," the presidential aspirant added.

(That is the kind of relationship needed. If NEA continues to force what it wants, it won't help member consumers. For me, we need to congratulate member consumers who did not accept the matter. It is a silent vigilance but they did not let themselves be silenced.)

In a statement, the NEA defended choosing Anna Marie Banaag-Rafael as Beneco's new general manager, citing legal basis in the selection process.

On April 29, 2021, NEA Board of Administrators then passed a Regular Board Resolution No. 2021-47, which endorsed Banaag-Rafael, the candidate with the highest score in the final interview for the general manager position of Beneco.

Then, the Beneco Board of Directors approved a resolution on May 19, 2021, rejecting the NEA's resolution and reiterating the previous Beneco Board resolution which appointed Melchor Licoben as their GM.

But the NEA Board found Beneco's resolution "unreasonable" and subsequently appointed Banaag-Rafael as the new general manager.

"The NEA BOA found the action of BENECO without valid reason, thus it appointed Atty. Rafael as the new BENECO general manager based on the NEA memorandum regarding the process of selection and hiring of an EC general manager, through RB Resolution No. 2021-71," read the statement.—LDF, GMA News

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