Elections to select the incoming six district directors for Baguio of the Benguet Electric Cooperative will he simultaneously held on April 21, as set by the Beneco board during its meeting last Tuesday.
The polls will be for districts I (Pacdal-Gibraltar- Mines View –Engineer’s Hill area), II (Camp 7-Bakakeng-Sto. Tomas.- San Vicente), III ( City Camp – Asin Rd.). IV (Pinget- Fairview- Quezon Hill – Irisan- Pinsao), V (Happy Homes to City Market), and VI (Sumulong – Holy Ghost Extension and Proper).
The hopefuls are expected to be led by incumbent directors Esteban Somngi, James Aclopen, Rocky Aliping, Luke Gomeyac, Peter Busaing and Mike Maspil, with the winners serving for three years.
The polls for the five directors of Benguet will be next year, as recommended by the screening committee headed by lawyer Delmar Carino, chairman of the screening committee.
Qualified hopefuls have until April 9, 2018 to file their certificates of candidacy, with the list of official candidates released on April 12, as per the poll calendar released by the cooperative.
To qualify, a candidate must be a Filipino citizen, graduate of a four-year college course, between 21 and 70 years old on the date of election, of good moral character, a member of the cooperative in good standing for the last five years immediately preceding the election, with no unsettled or outstanding obligation to the cooperative, has not been apprehended for electric pilferage and has not been removed for cause as a director or an employee from the electric cooperative, an actual resident of the district he seeks to represent for at least two years immediately preceding the election or appointment, and has attended at least two annual general membership assemblies for last five years immediately prior to the election or appointment.
Disqualified are those or whose spouse hold an elective or appointive public office position with a salary grade of 16 or higher or its equivalent, or any person of his spouse has been a candidate in the last local or national elections.
Also disqualified are those convicted by final judgment of a crime involving moral turpitude, persons terminated from public office or private employment for just cause as defined in Article 282 of the Labor Code, such person is related within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to any member of the electric cooperative board of directors, department manager, National Electrification Administration-appointed project supervisor or acting general manager or his equivalent or higher position, and such person is employed by or has financial interest in a competing enterprise or business of selling electric energy or electrical hardware to the cooperative or doing business with the EC.
Hopefuls are required to submit the fo9llowiwng for the filing of certificate of candidacy: duly accomplished and notarized certificate of candidacy (3 copies) with three copies of 2” x 2” picture, municipal and regional court clearances, Photostat copy of tax identification number, birth certificate (NSO), barangay captain’s certification that the candidate is an actual resident of the barangay he/she seeks to represent for the last two years, certification from the Commission on Elections that he/she was not a candidate on any election immediately preceding the electric cooperative district election, certification of good moral character issued by any of the following: barangay, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police, leader of religious sect where the candidate is affiliated, and certification from the electric cooperative that the candidate is a bonafide member-consumer if the cooperative in the district he/she seeks to represent for the last five years and actual consumer for the last two years, that the candidate is a member of the cooperative in good standing and that he/she has attended at least two annual general membership assemblies for the last five years. \
By: Ramon Dacawi.
