By Artemio Dumlao
BANGUED, Abra – Faced with yet another impending black-out at the start the year, the Abra Electric Cooperative (Abreco) vows to weather the dirty politics in the northern province.
Abreco “is asserting our perseverance in weathering all (their) obstructionist posturing and doomsday prophecies,” said Abreco General Manager Loreto Seares, Jr., who is at the middle of the “power struggle” spawned by outside forces in the province including political figures wanting control of the cooperative
“We refuse to be sidetracked from our vision and mission as a public utility organization exclusively mandated by law to deliver electric power supply to the whole Abra franchise area,” Seares said 2013 “ushers in a new beginning of the cooperative”.
A supposed black-out on unpaid obligations to the power supplier Aboitiz Renewable Power Inc. (APRI) on Dec. 27 was averted after Abreco paid its monthly dues of P4.9 million.
“We inform our member-consumers that our electric cooperative is capable of paying its monthly electricity fees. We have successfully done that. We have no debts, whatsoever, at APRI, as of this date.”
Seares said, “brownouts are not a horrifying specter that would shake the foundation of our cooperative.”
Abreco is braving yet another threat of power cut off on Jan. 3, this time by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and next by the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp., both reportedly being pressured by local Abra political leaders wanting to use the cooperative’s financial woes to oust the Abreco management.
“We do not subscribe to such low-handed tactics. The common good is paramount,” Seares said.
“Electric power is a basic commodity which cannot be bastardized as a bargaining chip in a political game. The general welfare clause takes precedence over all our thrusts, programs, and plans in Abreco.”
Abreco services at least 47,000 Abrenios in all 27 towns of Abra.
As long as we are free from political intervention and adventurism, Abreco keeps its lights on, Seares added.
“If our power supplier has been unwittingly dragged into this as the alleged source of the misrepresented facts, we have to inform them so within the context of our business intercourse.”
Abra Gov. Eustaquio Bersamin has denied charges “of his dipping fingers into the affairs of Abreco” and reportedly wants his own “anointed one” to replace Seares ahead of the 2013 midterm polls.
http://m.philstar.com/nation/show/1a248ae60f7f65bd6748a09267d9cba8
abrenian.com 
business intercourse? hehe, isu data ta panay to met ngamin intercourse t business yo
Posted by jessie jix | January 2, 2013, 2:08 pmThe Governor should be the least of Jun Seares’ worry, if I were him I would be more concerned with Cong Bernos’ Mommy Mila who is scheming to succeed GM Seares!
Posted by itellitlikeitis | January 2, 2013, 3:12 pmTrue colors! There’s a gold mine there.
Posted by musilat mulagat | January 4, 2013, 1:04 amlooks like everyone wants a piece of the pie then. The governor has some competitions there.
Posted by guapo | January 4, 2013, 1:09 amSeems like an underground operation going on here. Enter the good samaritan saving GM ‘s ass, the return? Remember mid term election.. all the dirty tricks in Abra politics .
Ay apo. Aggaammo tayo idin !
Posted by musilat mulagat | January 4, 2013, 5:49 amto include sexual intercourse. hope they are nt violating d new law on reproductive.
Posted by eric shawn | January 4, 2013, 2:24 am“We inform our member-consumers that our electric cooperative is capable of paying its monthly electricity fees. We have successfully done that. We have no debts, whatsoever, at APRI, as of this date.”
why don’t u call for a special general assembly and tell this piece to your 40k plus member consumers straight to their face GM Seares jr…..i think u need also to invite a representative from BIR for unremitted withheld taxes for almost 2 years now……SSS (unremitted contribution since oct. 2011)……same with Pag-ibig……PhilHealth……and not to forget DOLE for unrelease incentives and benefits for its working and dedicated employees ONLY…….
Posted by watersnake | January 2, 2013, 6:26 pm“We inform our member-consumers that our electric cooperative is capable of paying its monthly electricity fees. We have successfully done that. We have no debts, whatsoever, at APRI, as of this date.”
… Mr. GM are you making fun of us members???!!!.. if abreco is capable to pay apay ngarud nga kastoy nga agkamkamat kayo iti panagbayad APRI?.. and it looks like you are blaming politics again for the problems that abreco is facing??.. apay iti office of the governor or congressman aya iti rumbeng nga agbayad diay APRI??.. dayta iti madi kanyayo no adda problema agsapol tayo iti pabasolen! you always find somebody to blame ket nalaing kayo agugas iti ima.. sapay kuma ta agsubli kanyayo amin nga sinairo nga ar-armiden yo!!!..
Posted by manna.lon | January 2, 2013, 8:15 pmWhy is Jun Seares talking to the media instead of the consumers?
Posted by Madz | January 2, 2013, 10:57 pmI wonder why?
Posted by musilat mulagat | January 4, 2013, 1:06 amTo d Abreco General Manager: Sir, just clean your own mess, for God’s sake! Stop blaming someone else for your own wrongdoing. We could not move forward unless d buck/blame stops…at your lap, of course. You ought to recognize that. Just do something to stop d bleeding…We should not try to get d consumers/members’ sympathy by simply saying that you are getting d bitter end of some political maneuverings, just because d Gov. has preference for another, ally or not, to take you out as Abreco’s mismanaging GM. Mismanagement is clear, as d continued operational losses of Abreco due to rampant corruption at d cooperative could attest to that. If you are perceived as d cause of d problem (electric power crisis), would it not be best under all circumstances to just do something (action perhaps) and address the present situation and prove your critics wrong. Other than engaging d public in a trial by publicity or thru public opinion, of which while we are not to judge, but as members/consumers, we already know who’s wrong! We need concrete results, not just empty promises. Nothing more, nothing less! You’ve been weighed, and found wanting! So I think, d Abrenian people’s message is loud and clear: You either SHAPE UP or SHIP OUT. Your time starts now…and we’re counting!
Posted by RIMAT TI ABRA | January 3, 2013, 12:26 amWell put, RIMAT TI ABRA!
Posted by itellitlikeitis | January 3, 2013, 3:21 am“We inform our member-consumers that our electric cooperative is capable of paying its monthly electricity fees. We have successfully done that. We have no debts, whatsoever, at APRI, as of this date.”
You Jerk! where are you going to get the money to pay? Sell your car collections you asshole.
Posted by simpatico | January 8, 2013, 6:35 amAwan kano met ti utang tayo ti koryente kona ni GM Seares Ti Abreco.
Posted by Pedro | January 3, 2013, 5:37 amSige Apo GM,..pabasulem ni Takit ta bumanglo ni ikit mo nga Cecy…anya nga tactica dayta…awan pay iti solution nga naibiskag mo kadagiti member-consumer no kasano nga solbaren toy problema Abreco…bag laengen ta adda ni apo takit nga escape goat mo met…agaammo tayo idin.
Posted by celong | January 3, 2013, 11:42 amAbrenian friends, don’t you not wonder as to why abreco was able to come up with payment to aboitiz at the helm of the rumors and controversies? As per the 15.3M bill when there was no news of any outside bail out? My sources told me that there was a drastic change of hand inside abreco with the blessing of the bod and gm, travels and ither expenses were suspended, daily monitoring and payment reports were made, even allowances that of the gm, department officers and the gm himself were shelved, these are detrimental to saving abreco, i just hope whatever made the payments possible will be conducted on a regular basis not a “ningas kugon” in local terms. But i would have to confirm these hearsays and i will be back
Posted by abstract | January 3, 2013, 4:01 pmthey shld done dat before.
Posted by eric shawn | January 3, 2013, 7:11 pmFYI .ni kabsat .ni .GM ket nag defect idiay kampo ti valera. .ni cong bernos ti commander nan.
Posted by musilat mulagat | January 4, 2013, 5:01 amDefect or infiltrate?
Posted by Dilemna | January 6, 2013, 2:48 am“accountability” lang naman sana yan … kung alam nila ang ibig sabihin at alam nila kung pano gawin ….
Posted by mannalon | January 3, 2013, 9:45 pmNow that he is done paying it, he is still damned for doing it, how he’d done it, when he’s supposedly done it.
Awan latta pagkamangam, Mr. Abreco GM. Sakanto la ngata makapudno no umalis ka iti sabali a power supplier, aside from APRI.
Nalaingda a mangtaltal ti isyu. They always have a point. Even when pointless, moot or academic, they still storm high heavens to make a point. Puntiryada ka latta. It goes with the territory, a kunada.
Posted by Leopoldo P. Ardiente Sr. | January 3, 2013, 11:17 pmMr. Ardiente,
the point here is if ABRECO can now pay for all it’s dues now. Why did it take an enraged Abrenians for them to do so? I think GM has finally waken up and probably returned ‘SOME” of the money back to save his position.
Posted by guapo | January 4, 2013, 12:57 amfunny.. how can you pay that 400 million mr. GM??????
Posted by zha zha | January 10, 2013, 5:03 amMembers and abrenios are aware and well informed now of what’s on with the cooperative. Maraming salamat Abrenian .com for bringing this scandal in the open. Please carry on!
Posted by musilat mulagat | January 4, 2013, 12:52 amam glad they listened. madam x shld listen too.
Posted by eric shawn | January 4, 2013, 2:12 amthey shld listen n be accountable of their action. d essence of being a public servant.
Posted by eric shawn | January 4, 2013, 2:16 amMy point is there are solutions to any problem if this situation of abreco (and if you may sir ardiente, i would like to borrow your words) is like a gangerous wound that won’t heal maybe it is opt to believe that only the people inside abreco can find it’s cure, and i do not question their capabilities and abilities to make it happen. What i am trying to bring out is that any outside interference would not make the situation better, as they say “kung saan nag umpisa, dapat doon din matapos”. Being a consumer what is important to me is the continuity of electric supply to my home which is the most important because if there is electricity there is light if there is light there is life. Sans the interest of other parties who jumped into this issue just to meddle or make things worse
Posted by abstract | January 4, 2013, 2:21 amThis is for the member consumers info regarding Power Supply Agreement between ABRECO & APRI filed at ERC as Case Number:2011-183-RC Date: December 27, 2011 Applicant:ABRECO.
The first point is that ABRECO signed the contract for five(5) years to supply electricity with a provision to increase of more than One(1) peso per kwhr every year. Nadagsen apo daytoy para kaniatayo a consumers. Apay apo manager saan kayo la a nakakita ti sabali a supplyeren kas koma ti San Miguel Energy Corporation a supplyer ti Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union Pangasinan ken dadduma pay.
APRI operates power plants in Batangas, Laguna and Albay and feed the generated electricity(kuryente) to the GRID isu daytoy apo ti high voltage a transmission lines a pagtarayan ti kuryente nga umay ditoy Abra, kukua ti National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP)
The second point is that, manipud idiay ayan ti power plant ti APRI idiay south of Luzon magna ti kuryente iti transmission line ti NGCP nga dumanon ditoy Abra iti daytoy ket mainayon a singrir ti kuryente. The longer you use the grid, the more you pay. (kasla koma no nagnaka iti expressway, no at-atigdog ti dinalam mo dakdakkel met a ti tollgate a bayadam).
Apay saan yo a kinita daytoy idi maki kontrata kayo ti APRI apo manager uliten yo a basaen diay kontrata ket pabor amin iti APRI.
At the end of the day, iti amin ket maipasa kaniatayo a consumers datayo ti agbaybayad ti kuryente.
Posted by kuryente | January 4, 2013, 2:31 amWith regards to the power supply, if they try to link to other place then it will be very costly. What we need is a new management. Or probably an alternative power supply, still costly. But we can utilize the resources of ABRECO right? The GM is incompetent and inexperienced in his field of work, but how the hell did he attain position? POLITICS?! Yes…..I’m Probably certain I am Right!…
Posted by Abbat Iddot | January 4, 2013, 9:47 amApo ABBAT IDDOT, no apay nga na-attain ni GM Seares dayta a position. It was initiated by then his brother Allan Seares who was a member of the BOD before, and with the help of the LUNA brothers by intimidating and bribing some members of the BOD’s to get majority of them for GM Seares endorsement to CDA as General Manager of ABRECO. Isu daytoy no apay a nagmanager ni GM Seares despite the objection of agdama a Mayor idi ni Demonic Valera a nakalaban na ti politica idi a kinamayor.
GM Seares did not pass through the proper selection procedures in the selection of a GM. Uray awan ammona ti operasyon ti Abreco ken under graduate ti college ket nakatugaw a manager gapu kadaguitoy BOD’s.
Posted by exlineman | January 5, 2013, 1:25 amgm jun seares and his board of directors are bunch of inefficient and incompetent jerks…..padasen u pay t aglako t balot ken mani jay plaza tapno maamuan u no kasano t panagnegosyuan ken maaddaan kayo t experiensa…. better yet, i think u need to go back to school gm seares and finish your abandoned course…..nangatngato pay metten yords t qualification t agbalin nga janitoren ngem t agbalin nga general manageren…..
Posted by palileng | January 4, 2013, 6:15 pmsungka laeng ah ngarud t paglaingan da……agkimar!
Posted by watersnake | January 4, 2013, 8:57 pmDagiti madumaduma nga comments based on facts, iparangna nga ti pammabasol ken gov.Takit idi nga Isu ti mangkalkalob ti saan nga nasayaat nga aramid ni Gm ket pangdaddael laeng ti Kinatao ni gov. No adda man panangbabalawna ita ti incompetent ti Abreco management, kas iti dati, saan nga selserving, no di ket kitkitaaenna ti pagsayaatan ti Abra nangruna ti pagimbagan ti consumers. Kuna ni Gm nga ni gov.ti mangriribok ngem makita nga ti kina- incompetent na ti problema,kinaadu ti saan a kasapulan nga emplyado ken panaggasto a personal a nakalawlawag a panamgabuso ti akem. Be it known that I ‘m not a relative nor close supporter of the gov.. In fact I met him only once. But I ‘m active supporter of what is righteous and good governance.
Adun nasasakit nga sarita a nailanad ditoy Laban ken ti gov a mapaneknekan itan nga bunga ti dirty politics ken apal, Crab mentality ti dadduma. Manmano ti makapagggovernador ken narigat siguron ti makaaramid ti nasayaat a kas naaramidanna. Agpayso nga adda met dagiti saan nga makapnek nga kalidad nga projectsna. But in general his performance is beyond compare. Iwaras tayo koma ti panagkita tayo ti kinapudno. Let us be honest to ourselves. We must consider truth above anything else. Let us give the “matuwid na daan” ni Pnoy a chance in Abra.
Posted by Tagamasid | January 6, 2013, 7:54 pmApay nga tetta na la nga babalawen diay madi nga aramid dayta abreco gm. Idinto nga mano nga notice’n ti inted ti Aboitiz. No kayat na talaga tubngaren diay madi nga aramid, idi kuma pay laeng damo. Ammo na daytan Tagamasid. Naginbubulsek la ni takit puroganansya BulsaAmin gapuen ta dina makalubanen. Ngamin ammo aminen nga consumers. Matuwid na daan kunam, damagem man ngarud no napanan diay 700M plus nga utang ti probinsia. Sabali pay laeng diay IRA ti probinsia.
Posted by Keps | January 7, 2013, 8:26 pmPaparis da Amin bulong ti atis….
Posted by Keps | January 7, 2013, 8:28 pmlike
Posted by jessie jix | January 7, 2013, 10:44 pmunlike
Posted by jessie jix | January 8, 2013, 2:10 am🙈🙊🙉
Posted by Emeraldgreen | January 7, 2013, 9:23 am