Electric co-op leaders call for resignations of Cusi, NEA chief

MANILA, Philippines — Leaders of electric cooperatives and member-consumer-owners called for the immediate resignation of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi over the allegedly questionable sale of shares of the Malampaya gas field.

They also called for the resignaton of National Electrification Administration Chief Emmanuel Juaneza, alleging a lack of qualifications to lead the agency.

Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives. Inc (Philreca) and National Center of Electric Cooperative Consumers, Inc. (NCECCO) initiated the calls for resignation.

Former NEA administrator Edgardo Masongsong, who now leads the NCECCO, called on Cusi to resign from his post after his agency allowed the reportedly questionable sale of shares in the Malampaya gas field.

"The irregular and anomalous transfer of shares in the Chevron-UC Malampaya transaction went through under his nose despite the findings of his very own department that UC Malampaya is not financially fit to enter into transaction with Chevron. This transaction only benefitted a very few oligarchs, instead of the Filipino people," Masongsong was quoted as saying, based on a Wednesday statement from Philreca.

Masongsong stepped down from leading the NEA after President Rodrigo Duterte fired him due to corruption allegations. 

READ: Duterte fires NEA chief Masongsong

His remark comes around two weeks after Sen. Sherwin "Win" Gatchalian, who chairs his chamber's energy committee, called on Cusi to resign for allegedly "railroading" the share sale deal of the Malampaya project, the country's only indigenous gas field and which contributes to almost 20% of the country's power generation mix. 

On February 4, Gatchalian sent the Ombudsman a copy of the Senate resolution recommending charges against Cusi and other officials for green lighting the allegedly anomalous share sale deal in the Malampaya gas field.

READ: Senate reso urging charges vs Cusi, others over Malampaya deal sent to Ombudsman

In his defense, Cusi said earlier this month that he is ready to face all charges against him in the proper forum, and is prepared to prove that the DOE's actions are legal. 

"I am elated that this matter may now be brought before the proper legal forum where evidence, logic and reason are used as bases for determining whether or not an irregularity has been committed. That had not been the case at the Committee hearing where innuendoes, speculation and hearsay propagated by certain business interests dictated the course of the so-called investigation," he said in a statement on February 4.

President Rodrigo Duterte has stood by the deal, saying he had reviewed it and found it to be above board. 

NEA chief asked to resign

On Wednesday, Rep. Presley de Jesus (Philreca party-list) said Juaneza, who assumed the role of NEA administrator in October 2021, "does not have what it takes to lead the agency."

"I therefore call for Mr. Emmanuel P. Juaneza’s immediate resignation in the interest of electric cooperatives, the member-consumer-owners, and the preservation of the legacy of the Rural Electrification Program," De Jesus said. 

Philreca has criticized the NEA's decision to appoint Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) assistant secretary Anna Marie Rafael as Benguet Electric Cooperative's (Beneco) general manager (GM), citing a House resolution which said she did not meet the qualifications to lead the electric cooperative. 

Rafael's appointment was also rejected by the Beneco board of directors who chose to appoint Engr. Melchor Licoben as the new GM after the retirement of its former leader, the late Gerry Verzosa.

READ: DOE ensures uninterrupted power service in Beneco franchise

While Beneco is under NEA, Cusi said last year that the Energy department will be monitoring the developments to ensure no power interruptions amid the dispute in the electric cooperative's leadership.