The National Electrification Administration has directed the Central Negros Electric Cooperative Board to maintain the status quo at CENECO after disapproving the appointment of engineer Noriel Bermudez, and advising the members earlier to declare vacant the position for CENECO Manager.

The latest directive was issued by NEA Electric deputy administrator for Distribution Utilities Services, Pablo Pan III, in response to the complaints and comments received by his office on actions triggered by findings of the Comprehensive Operations Audit covering Jan. 1, 2002 to Dec. 31, 2005.

In his letter dated August 31, Pan directed the CENECO Board to maintain a status quo pending further findings by a special NEA team of culpability of a number of officers that will be sent to CENECO soon.

He said this letter supercedes his previous communication dated July 5 and August 23, disapproving the appointment of Bermudez as CENECO general manager, and advising the board to pass a resolution designating a new officer-in-charge.

Bermudez said CENECO Board president Eddie Guillem called for a special board meeting before August 23 where the board passed Resolution No. 7639 seeking clarification from the NEA about his status. The board set another special meeting Friday to discuss the August 23 letter of Pan, he said.

Before he was appointed CENECO general manager on August 2005, Bermudez had been Murcia field office manager of CENECO.

Asked to comment on the NEA evaluation of the answers made by the board and management to the Comprehensive Operations Audit findings, Bermudez said items 1 and 2 cited by NEA are moot and academic.

He said their two projects - the construction of a 30-MVA (mega volt amperes) substation beside the Mabini Elementary School and the upgrading of Alijis substation from 20 MVA to 30 MVA are now ongoing and will be completed by October.

He said NEA had approved the use of the reinvestment fund for the Integrated Computerized Planning Model of CENECO, under the five-year development plan.

NEA director for EC Audit Department Veronica Cruz, in her letter dated August 2006, directed Bermudez to refund the cooperative for the increase in his salary, saying his action appointing himself as manager of Consumers Account Department is not valid.

Bermudez said it was the CENECO board that had appointed him as manager of the CAD through a board resolution. He said he has written Cruz, asking for reconsideration.*CGS

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