BAGUIO CITY – Member-consumer-owners of the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) ratified a number of resolutions that were previously approved by the Board of Directors asserting the appointment of Engr. Melchor S. Licoben as the general manager of the electric cooperative.
Based on the outcome of the 40th annual general membership assembly (AGMA) held in blended form last October 2, 2021, the MCOs overwhelmingly approved the adoption of various resolutions that had been earlier passed upon by the members of the Board of Directors after these were discussed.
Among the resolutions approved by the MCOs include Resolution No. 2020-90 appointing Engr. Licoben as the general manager of the Benguet Electric Cooperative upon the effectivity of the retirement of the late Gerardo P. Verzosa; Resolution No. 2020-165 requesting the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to confirm the intent of BENEC Board Resolution NO. 2020-90 appointing Engr. Licoben as the general manager of BENECO; Resolution No. 2020-190 informing the NEA that the BENECO Board of Directors opted for Option No. 2 of NEA Memorandum No. 2017-035 in the appointment of Engr. Licoben as BENECO general manager vice GM Gerardo P. Verzosa and paragraph No. 6 of the said memorandum is already foreclosed; Resolution No. 2021-87 rejecting NEA – Board of Administrators Resolution No. 2021-47 and reiterating the previous Resolution of the BENECO board appointing Engr. Licoben as BENECO general manager and Resolution No. 2021-151 rejecting NEA-BOA Resolution No. 2021-71 and reiterating BENECO Board Resolution No. 2020-90 naming and appointing Engr. Licoben as the BENECO general manager and directing him to sign the performance management contract.
During the said assembly, the MCOs saw the wisdom of BENECO board Resolution No. 2020-90, Resolution No. 2020-165 and Resolution No. 2020-190, all of which are therefore agreeable and thus acceptable.
MCO and |Benguet provincial boardmember and Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) Recto Alawas moved for the ratification of the aforesaid BENECO board resolutions and that the motion was duly seconded and subsequently approved.
On April 21, 2020, the BENECO board approved Resolution No. 2020-90 while on July 21, 2020, the board in a similar unanimous manner, approved Resolution 2020-165 which requested NEA to confirm the intent of BENECO BOARD Resolution 2020-90.
All the resolutions were immediately transmitted to the NEA for immediate approval but the same were never acted upon by the said regulating agency for the supposed guidance of the BENECO and in clear violation of the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) 6713 or the Code of Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
The NEA instead entertained an endorsement from the Office of the President that forwarded to the agency an intention from an unqualified and not recommended applicant to the position of BENECO general manager even if there was no position of the same to be opened because of the presence of Resolution No. 2020-90 that was never acted upon by the NEA, thus, the same became effective pursuant to existing laws, rules and regulations. By HENT