Raps lodged vs top NEA official

KALIBO, Aklan — The general manager of the electric cooperative that supplies power to the world-famous resort of Boracay has filed graft charges against a top official of the National Electrification Administration (NEA) for her alleged attempt to oust him.

In a complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman, Leovegildo Mationg accused Edita Bueno, NEA deputy administrator for cooperative development, of conspiring with the "spurious" board of directors of the Aklan Electric Cooperative (Akelco) to take over the cooperative.

Akelco, based in Kalibo, supplies power to several towns in Aklan, including Malay, the municipality where the island resort of Boracay is located.

Mationg alleged that Bueno "willfully, unlawfully and feloniously allowed herself to be persuaded, induced, or influenced by an illegal board member to issue a directive suspending (him) despite her knowing fully well of the composition of the legitimate board of Akelco."

The complaint arose from what Mationg called an "evident attempt" by Bueno to take over Akelco’s management by issuing an order on March 21 suspending him, purportedly based on a board resolution signed by a certain Chito Peralta acting as officer-in-charge-president.

Bueno, however, had to recall her own order the following day when she realized that Akelco’s legitimate board would assert itself, Mationg said.