NEA calms down Abra power consumer – members leadership crisis anxiety
National Electrification Administration (NEA) deputy administrator for electric cooperatives, lawyer Omar Mayo calmed down anxious member-consumers of the Abra Electric Cooperative (Abreco) of a looming leadership crisis after Supreme Court-reinstated general manager Loreto Seares Jr. virtually took back his post-Wednesday morning.
Seares Jr. backed by private counsel Marlyn Damasen gathered employees at the Abreco offices and declared the former’s taking back his post
after the Supreme Court ruled in his favor, thus junking a 2018 dismissal by the NEA Board on supposed administrative infractions.
Wednesday’s take over however was marred with anxiety from member-consumers foreseeing a leadership crisis in the cooperative after NEA-installed general manager Engr. Victor Baula has held on to his post even with the SC ruling, banking on a supposed motion for reconsideration filed by NEA via the Solicitor General to the SC.
Mayo however doused fears of yet another leadership problem in Abreco arguing, “the leadership of Abreco is the Board of Directors, not the general manager.”
The official also said, “systems are in place (in Abreco management),” signaling member-consumers not to worry at all. Mayo said he would not want to issue any comment on the MR filed by the SolGen citing the sub judice rule. But Seares Jr. believes he has virtually retaken his post foisting the SC ruling, which he said is, final and executory.
The High Court on November 18, 2021, though uploading such a decision only last May 16, 2022, ruled in favor of Seares Jr. citing the latter’s convincing arguments against the NEA Board’s imputations of administrative culpability for grave misconduct, dishonesty, gross incompetence, gross negligence and gross neglect of duty that led to the degeneration of Abreco way back in 2018.
Seares Jr. who sought the Court of Appeals received an unfavorable ruling on June 15, 2020, prompting him to elevate it to the SC which finally ruled, “… NEA failed to prove by substantial evidence petitioner’s supposed administrative culpabilities…
Verily, there is no factual ·or legal basis for petitioner’s removal from office as General Manager of Abreco.” In one part of the decision, the SC said:…”What we see here was a general manager who exhausted all possible ways and means to rehabilitate Abreco’s dwindling financial situation. Had he not secured the loans in question, Abreco’s operation and power supply would have been shut down; and the entire province of Abra literally would have lived in total darkness for an undetermined length of time.
Then death and chaos in hospitals, stoppage of food production and distribution, stoppage of work, and criminals freely roaming around or waiting to pounce on their victims in the dark alleys of Abra would have also happened.” It further added, “Evidently, contracting the loans in question was a necessary judgment call for petitioner.
Ironically, it was NEA’s refusal to extend financial assistance to AbreCo which forced the petitioner “to clutch the blade of a knife” so to speak just so he could save (the electric cooperative) and its consumers from imminent closure and live a life in a ghost-like town.”
Aside from immediate reinstatement as General Manager, Seares Jr. will receive full back salaries and benefits without loss of seniority
rights, the Supreme Court ordered. He owed it, he said, “to God’s grace and mercy.
This is a victory of justice and that of all the member-consumers of Abreco.”
Artemio A. Dumlao/ABN
