Beneco to forgo late payment penalties
By Jordeene B. Lagare – October 22, 2021
from The Manila Times
THE Benguet Electric Cooperative Inc. (Beneco) has resolved “to condone” penalties for late payment of electricity bills amid leadership squabble at the power co-op.
Beneco Project Supervisor Omar Mayor informed the National Electrification Administration (NEA) of this development in a report to the agency.
On Monday, Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, Inc. (Philreca) said personnel from the Philippine National Police stormed the Beneco premises.
Philreca had reported “the armed policemen forced open locked doors and allegedly started confiscating computers without permission from the management” sans court order.
They enforced NEA Board Resolution 2021-106 that deputized the PNP to enforce the suspension order against seven members of Beneco Board of Directors and Melchor Licoben, Beneco’s general manager appointed by the board.
Mayo said emergency tellers were deployed on Tuesday because no employee reported for work that day.
The attempt was foiled when employees and member-consumer-owners of Beneco gained control of the electric cooperative’s headquarters on Wednesday and booted out the administrators appointed by NEA in a peaceful takeover.
Mayo told the agency that Beneco’s consolidated collections from different payment centers were close to a million pesos from power consumers at South Drive payment center alone which was then deposited to LandBank under Beneco’s account.
Likewise, the NEA team also requested Baguio City Police Station to increase visibility patrols, specifically in the locations of substations and other facilities within Baguio City.
According to Mayo, the request was meant to ensure continuous delivery of electricity service.
“To avoid further complicating the situation, the NEA Team issued an advisory closing the South Drive for business on October 20,” said Mayo in a report to NEA Administrator Emmanuel Juaneza.
Mayo made a number of recommendations, which include tapping neighboring ECs in Luzon to assist the power distribution utility in addressing consumer complaints.
