BENECO GM LICOBEN FEELS HAPPY ON COURT OF APPEALS DECISION

A victory of BENECO consumers

BAGUIO CITY

Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco) general manager, Engineer Melchor Licoben is humbled on the Court of Appeals (CA) decision favoring him as the duly head of the public utility. ‘Well, I’m happy that we won the case, ’Licoben said in the vernacular, adding that he can not still issue an official statement until his camp will receive the official copy of the decision. ‘In truth, we don’t have enemies… we only questioned the process,’ Licoben stressed.

However, reports circulating attributed to lawyer Larry Gacayan, legal counsel of Licoben said ‘the court granted
Engr. Licoben’s petition, declaring the National Electrification Administration’s (NEA) 2022 appointment of lawyer Ana Maria Paz Rafael as the BENECO General Manager null and void.’ In the Court of Appeals decision on July 9, 2024 the court upheld all arguments presented by Engr. Licoben.

The court found that Atty. Rafael did not meet the qualifications for the General Manager position and ruled that NEA’s Board of Administrators lacked the authority to make such an appointment. Furthermore, the court emphasized that NEA cannot compel the BENECO Board of Directors to confirm its appointments, as doing so would reduce the Board to a mere rubber stamp. Looking forward, Licoben announced that NEA has recently released P100-million to BENECOin the form of subsidy for sitio electrification.

To date, BENECO has 85 percent energization rate in its coverage areas with present accounts totalling to 240,000.
To meet challenging times and the needs of its consumers , Licoben said, BENECO has come up a millions worth of Smart technology project – to embrace digital technology, to improve reliability. ‘By improving reliability we have to invest protective devises power interruptions,’ Licoben said. Meanwhile, Licoben share the optimism of thousands of its consumers for the renewal or extension of BENECO franchise which is set to expire soon.

Primo P. Agatep/ABN

Amianan Balita Ngayon