3 Ceneco directors decry City Hall power disconnection
BACOLOD CITY -- Three members of the board of Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) distanced themselves from the controversial disconnection of power from the Bacolod City Hall last week.
In an open letter obtained by various media organizations, Ceneco Directors Luis Cuenca (District I), Edward Gasambelo (District IV) and Roberto Montelibano questioned the implementation of power disconnection despite a compromise agreement between the two parties.
Gasambelo said while the board resolutions were passed last July 8, 2008, namely Resolutions Nos. 8211 and 8212 stating power disconnection to Bacolod City government offices, it was overridden by a compromise agreement signed by Bacolod City and Ceneco at the sala of Judge Gorgonio Ybañez on October 31, 2008.
"The two disconnection notices covered by Resolutions 8211 and 8212, however, was taken up again during the second meeting of Ceneco Board of Directors last December 16, 2008 where it was stressed that there be actual or physical disconnection of the Bacolod City Government's electricity connection, a proper and prior duly received disconnection notice must be given," the directors said in the open letter.
On December 19, 2008 and January 5, 2009, notices of disconnection was again submitted to the Bacolod City Government detailing its outstanding balance and consequences of the power disconnection but clearly said notice did not state actual or physical date of power disconnection.
"It was on January 8, where a regular Board meeting was scheduled, as we are waiting for the meeting to start, we were surprised that the actual or physical disconnection was already in effect at the City Hall, which as they known it started as early as 8:30 in the morning," Gasambelo said.
The three directors said that the actual or physical disconnection of City Hall and other offices was performed without their knowledge and in the absence of a thorough deliberation.
"Disconnecting City Hall entails contingency plan for a crisis management and necessary budget in case there are unexpected line faults and assignment of personnel to various areas for purposes of emergency responses. Since there was none, Ceneco operations management was not prepared also in responding to emergency calls resulting to prolonged massive brownouts," the open letter stated.
Ceneco President Atty. Vicente Sabornay, on the other hand, refuted the allegations of the three directors.
"They should be aware that the board resolutions passed prior to disconnection were approved unanimously, meaning including them," he stressed.
Sabornay said it is not right to say that the board resolutions were overridden by the compromise agreement approved by court because a board resolution is purely administrative unlike the agreed compromise.
Though he respects the stand of the three in their open letter Sabornay said that it should be noted that still majority rules and the decision was a collegial stand of the board including the management.
Gasambelo said Ceneco can do it (power disconnection) to their small consumers but not to Bacolod City Hall and its extended offices which is their big client and a government office. Worst, some innocent consumers including businesses and services were also directly affected because of the power disconnection.