Boses ng Beneco MCO’s nadaig ang kapangyarihan ni Atty Rafael
BAGUIO CITY – Daan-daang member, consumer at owner’s (MCO’s) at empleyado ng Beneco mula sa iba’t-ibang barangay ng Baguio-Benguet ang nagsagawa ng peace rally noong October 20, 2021 sa Beneco Headquarter, South Drive.
Sa pangunguna ni July Rain na kabilang sa MCO ay hindi nito tinigilan ang pagpapakiusap na idinaan pa sa pagkanta kay NEA appointed Beneco GM Atty. Ana Maria Paz Rafael na sinasabayan rin ng mga kasamang MCO’s at sa kanilang mga dala na placard ay iisa ang isinasaad nito, ang paalisin si Rafael sa loob ng Beneco HQ.
Nauna rito, noong Lunes (October 18) ng alas-dos ng madaling araw ay umatake sa Beneco Headquarter ang mga tauhan ni Rafael na kasama ang ilang pulis na taga Region, walang nagawa ang mga guwardiya kung kaya dito ay malayang nakapasok si Rafael at ilang tauhan nito.
Hindi rin naging maayos ang pagpapatakbo ni Rafael sa mga empleyado dahil hindi rin nila alam kung magiging legal ang mga transactions kung hindi tama ang kanilang pag takeover para gampanan ang pagiging general manager nito, kung kaya nagsagawa ng strike ang mga empleyado at humingi rin sila ng permit para sa tontongan na ginanap sa Malcolm Square. Ipinakita ng mga empleyado ng Beneco ang buong suporta kay GM Engr. Melchor Licoben, kaya noong Martes ay halos walang pumasok na empleyado na naging dahilan nang mag-isyu si Project Supervisor Atty. Omar M. Mayo ng Memorandum para sa lahat ng mga empleyado na bumalik na sa kanilang mga designated posts and work shifts.
Subalit, ang kapalit nito ay naging masaklap kay Rafael at sa kanyang mga tauhan ng patalsikin sila ng mga nagkaisang MCO’s.
Dumalo si Mayor Benjamin Magalong sa nasabing peace rally at ipinakita niya na buo ang suporta nito kay GM Mel Licoben. Nagpakita rin ng suporta sina city councilor Michael Lawana, Arthur Allad-iw at LT councilor Nestor “Bobot” Fongwan
Ayon kay Magalong, “We are more educated, we don’t apply lies and tricks. Let us remain peaceful, let us look at things objectively, and hopefully no less than NEA and no less than Malacañang will finally realize that taking over BENECO forcefully will not work. Looking at how united we are — Fighting for GM Licoben, fighting for the people and employees of BENECO is simply the right thing to do,”
“Don’t worry about the Philippine National Police. We have been talking to them and they are here to protect us. Yesterday there was an attempt to get the Philippine Army involved and no less than the Brigade Commander called me up and he mention to me that there is no point in getting the Philippine Army to involve, kaya natin I resolve ito”
“They took over, but they do not know how to run, kaya now we’re back and better siguro we have to show na talagang kaya natin gawin at ipaglaban ito,” pagtatapos ni Magalong.
Sa pahayag naman ni GM Mel Licoben, “I’d like to thank everybody, Noong gabi pa lang ay namumrublema na kami hindi namin alam kung anong mangyayari, and we keep praying na sana walang violence na mangyari, and we are very grateful na kayong mga consumers, ipinakita niyo that we are peace loving people,”
“After this, we immediately go back check our system and hopefully we will be back to normal operation but, marami pa tayong haharapin actually, it is not the end, but is actually a beginning, we hope that we will sustain this so, that our operation will not paralyze, after all, if the operation will paralyze you and me, coz I am also a member consumer, apektado tayong lahat and we know that electricity is a basic necessity kailangan natin ito especially this pandemic times,”
“So I appeal to everybody to run peaceful and vigilance and we could sustain this to ensure that the operation is our cooperative,” ani Licoben
Sinubukan namin kunan ng panayam si Atty Rafael kaugnay rito ngunit hindi pa aniya maharap ayon sa kanyang media coordinator. Mario Oclaman / FNS
