The Concerned CENECO Consumers, a group supporting board president Eddie Guillem of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative, said yesterday that the National Electrification Administration was abusing its powers when it ordered his termination and that of OIC-general manager Noriel Bermudez.

CCC, led by convenor Germale Federico, said in a position paper that it is obvious that NEA sought the removal of Guillem "without just and valid grounds" and "for reasons that appear to be purely political." "As consumer-members of CENECO, we are being threatened by the actions of NEA, because we are the ones who voted for these members of the board and all of a sudden without due process, (NEA) again made an unfair, biased and malicious decision," the group said.

They said that it appears that NEA is "in cahoots" with a small, exclusive group of political operators in Bacolod City which they call the "sinister clique" who are desperate to take over and control CENECO, especially with the approaching election. They also said that Eldy Castañero, chief of staff of Rep. Monico Puentevella, could be the "think-tank" of this group.

They asked why only Guillem was ordered removed from office when the subjects of the investigation conducted by NEA were the contracts entered into by CENECO pursuant to board resolutions.

The board of directors of CENECO collectively decided to execute those contracts and authorized Guillem and Bermudez to enter (into) the contracts on behalf of CENECO, they said.

"NEA appears to be showing its true color as a dictator. NEA is punishing the individual members of the board of directors of CENECO that voted to execute and fulfill the subject contracts. Isn't it that the board of directors of CENECO is a collective body?" the group asked.

In a decision dated March 12 that was served last Thursday, NEA terminated Guillem and Bermudez after finding them liable for administrative violations, following the motu propio investigation conducted by the NEA Administrative Committee based on the adverse audit findings on CENECO for the period Jan. 1, 2002 to Dec. 31, 2005.

NEA said that both Guillem and Bermudez openly defied and violated NEA policies, guidelines, rules and orders, constituting grave misconduct punishable as a grave offense that carries a penalty of removal on the first offense, when they signed and executed a contract for the acquisition of 30MVA substation transformer for the Alijis substation using the Reinvestment Fund of CENECO without prior approval of NEA.

The five directors, Gerardo Solas, Perlito Fuentespina, Eduardo Torrecampo, Gregorio Duremdes, and Jobert Tagobader, have been suspended for 31 days for the less grave offense of voting to pass the resolution for the contract to acquire the 30 MVA substation transformer.

The decision said that "no administrative liability could attach against board members Cesar Leonardia, Julius Tamayo and Roberto Montelibano, considering that they have either voted against the subject board resolution, or they were not yet members of the CENECO board during the subject period."

NEA, however, said in its decision that there is no substantial evidence to support the audit finding that there was irregularity in the contract entered by CENECO with Pazifik Power for the purchase of a similar 30MVA substation transformer installed adjacent to the CENECO office.

Bermudez was also found liable for violating the CENECO By-laws concerning nepotism in the hiring of employees when he permanently appointed his son, Chris Nicole, as disconnector-MFO of CENECO on April 11, 2006.*NLG

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