NEA urged to show transparency through concrete action

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines — The National Electrification Administration (NEA) has been urged to back up its claims of transparency with concrete action following recent statements by Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda.

In a press conference after meeting with the SOCOTECO II Board of Directors on March 30, Almeda said that NEA abides by the law and operates transparently.

The call for accountability came from the Bantay Kuryente Movement, an advocacy group monitoring the energy sector. The group welcomed Almeda’s statement but stressed that transparency must be demonstrated through tangible measures.

Bantay Kuryente urged the NEA to release key documents, including the audit report detailing SOCOTECO II’s violations, the work of the NEA project supervisor over the past two years and the terms of reference used in evaluating bidders.

The movement also demanded explanations on why a referendum among member-consumer-owners (MCOs) regarding privatization was not conducted and why the board of directors was cleared of responsibility in the illegal remarketing of unused purchased power.

Furthermore, Bantay Kuryente pressed NEA to commit to a public, competitive bidding process for any private partnership, and to allow an independent third-party audit under the Regional Development Council or General Santos City Council.

The advocacy group warned it will pursue administrative and legal remedies if these demands are not met, insisting that transparency must be more than rhetoric and that the public deserves assurance that regulatory processes are fair and accountable.