■ Jane B. Cadalig
Eight candidates are vying for Benguet Electric Cooperative board of directors to represent the member-consumers of six districts in the public utility’s highest policy-making body.
District 6 in Baguio City, however, does not have a qualified candidate, based on the list of candidates issued on April 12 by the screening committee for the April 20 Beneco district elections.
Among other barangays, District 6 covers areas within the Baguio central business district like Kabayanihan, Harrison-Carantes, and Malcolm Square.
It also covers Trancoville, South and North Sanitary Camp, Lopez Jaena, Aurora Hill Proper, North Central Aurora Hill, South Central Aurora Hill, Bayan Park Village, San Antonio Village, Ambiong, Brookspoint, West Bayan Park, East Bayan Park, West Modern Site, East Modern Site, Brookside, Imelda Village, M. Roxas-Teachers Camp, Holy Ghost Proper, Honeymoon-Holy Ghost, Holy Ghost Extension, Upper General Luna, and Lower General Luna.
The candidate for district 2 is Josephine Aclayan.
The district covers PMA Fort del Pilar, Kias, Loakan-Liwanag, Loakan Proper, Camp 7, Poliwes, San Vicente, BGH Compound, Phil-am, Imelda Marcos Balsigan, SLU-SVP, Bakakeng Norte, Bakakeng Sur, Bakakeng Central, Sto. Tomas Proper, Dontogan, and Sto. Tomas School Area.
Those vying to represent district 5 are Claudio Calugan and Pablo Gomuad.
The district covers Kagitingan, T. Alonzo, New Lucban, ABCR, P. Zamora, Kayang-Hilltop, Upper City Market, P. Burgos, Upper Burgos, Upper Magsaysay, Sto. Nino-Slaughterhouse, Magsaysay Private Road, Lower Magsaysay, Antonio Tabora, Happy Homes-Lucban, Dizon Subdivision, and Lower Quirino Hill, Middle Quirino Hill, West Quirion Hill, and East Quirino Hill.
Those who filed their certificates of candidacy for district 7, which covers La Trinidad, Benguet are Joel Cervantes and Tyrone Diaz.
District 8, which covers Itogon, Bokod, and Kabayan in Benguet also has a lone candidate in Fernando Abello, while the candidates for District 10 covering Atok, Tublay, Kapangan, and Kibungan in Benguet are Edward Antonio and Wilfredo Diano.
The list of candidates is subject to cleansing if there are protests or disqualification. The deadline of filing of certificate of candidacy was on April 10.
Beneco has already published and posted the polling centers and the masterlist of qualified voters in the barangays.
Beneco reminded the member-consumers that only those whose membership was approved 90 days before the election can vote in April 20.
For joint membership, only one member is allowed to vote and a member can only vote in the district where their membership was registered. Those who have membership in other districts are allowed to vote in the district covering their original membership.
Proxy voting is not allowed.
The next election for the other districts, both in Baguio and Benguet, is set in September.
