LEGAZPI CITY – Five of the nine members of the deactivated board of directors of Albay Electric Cooperative Inc. (Aleco) have expressed their support for the holding of district elections for new members of the board scheduled on May 6-7, 2006.

        The five Aleco directors who had signed a letter addressed to the Board of Administrators (NEA) interposing no objection for the holding of district elections for the Aleco board were Marcial Tuanqui Jr., Atty. Mariano Baranda Jr., Erlinda Nidea, Agnes Jaucian, and Miguel Bustamante.

        Atty. Oliver Olaybal, president and chairman of the deactivated Aleco board, had sought a permanent injunction before Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 5 against the holding of district elections on the ground that there is still a pending case before the Court of Appeals.

        Tuanqui disclosed in a radio interview that Olaybal would be asking the court on Friday afternoon for the issuance of a writ of execution on the permanent injunction. “If this is granted we will have no Aleco elections forever,” he added.

        At the same time, Tuanqui said that they have disowned the case filed by Olaybal as president and board chairman of Aleco because “we were never consulted as a collegial body.” He (Olaybal) should have filled the case as an Aleco member, Tuanqui reiterated.

        “We don’t know anything about the case filed by Atty. Olaybal before RTC Branch 5 because there was no board meeting. There was no resolution and there was no collegial agreement on the matter,” he added.

        Tuanqui further said that Aleco can’t be rehabilitated without a board of directors to act as policy-making body.

        “As a former president of the Albay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), I know that the members of the chamber have been clamoring for district elections of Aleco so that reforms could be carried out under the new board,’ he added.

        He also stressed that they are no longer running for reelection in the May 6 and 7 elections.

        “Let’s not place personal interests above public welfare,” he added