CAP2 hails NEA decision (Sun.Star, Thursday, October 04, 2007)

CAP2 hails NEA decision

By Ian Ocampo Flora

STA. RITA -- The Consumers Alliance of PELCO2 (CAP2) had hailed the decision of Deputy Director Pablo M. Pan III of the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to direct the cooperative’s board of directors to conduct the much awaited directors’ election and address the pressing problems in administration as a “landmark” decision.

This after the deputy director had mediated in the talks between CAP2 and the PELCO2 board despite the earlier pronouncements of the latter that CAP2 was merely “a nuisance” and that the group does not represent the sentiment of the consumers.

According to CAP2 chairperson Catalina Saplala, the decision of Director Pan had only vindicated their claims that there are really lapses in the adherence to abide by the bylaws of the cooperative.

“We uphold that the decisions of Director Pan are well meant and are for the general benefit of member consumers who in fact own the cooperative,” Saplala said.

CAP2 is a watchdog organization of concerned consumers established since 1985 and has obtained juridical status from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Pan had also cleared once and for all the issue that was raised by CAP2 that the PELCO2 general manager in the person of Sulpicio Lagarde in his letter to the NEA director last July claimed that “there are no owners in the cooperative, only member consumers.” This runs contrary to the Article 1 Section 2 of the PELCO2 bylaws which state that “consumers are the owners of the cooperative.”

“The consumers are the owners of PELCO2,” Pan assured.

CAP2 and the PELCO administration had agreed to set the election of the directors on the months of November and December and shall observe the prescription periods stated in the PELCO2 by-laws for the seven electrical districts to elect their new directors.

PELCO2 covers the towns of Lubao, Sasmuan, Sta. Rita, Porac, Guagua, Bacolor and Mabalacat.