Liga ng mga Barangay President and Councilor Rocky Aliping is pushing for the immediate conduct of the election of the regular members of the Board of Directors (BOD) of the Benguet Electric Cooperative.
During the regular session of the city council on Jan. 8, Aliping filed a resolution seeking to enjoin the interim Beneco BOD and the National Electrification Administration to immediately conduct the election.
However, the city council deferred the approval of the resolution and referred it to the committee on public utilities, transportation, and traffic legislation chaired by Councilor Benny Bomogao for further study.
Aliping, a former member of the Beneco BOD and now a member of the city council, said the election for the Beneco BOD members must take place at the soonest possible time following the installation of Engr. Melchor Licoben as the electric cooperative’s general manager.
He said these BOD members elected through a transparent electoral process in their respective districts would be the official policymakers to address pertinent issues impacting the operation and management of the electric cooperative.
Aliping recalled in the past years, Beneco was beset with numerous controversies which prompted the NEA to intervene to address these issues which, according to him, created confusion that plagued the electric cooperative.
In the absence of the Beneco BOD as a result of these series of “unfortunate” events, the NEA Board of Administrators created a multi-sectoral task force to act as an interim policymaking body for the electric cooperative effective Jan. 10, 2023 until a regular board is created. The task force is composed of a chairperson representing the business sector and representatives from the consumer, professional, religious, academe/education, and agricultural sectors.
The proposed resolution shall be discussed in the city council after the committee makes its recommendations. – Jordan G. Habbiling
