SOCOTECO II members back Ignite joint venture in plebiscite as graft complaint and House probe push shadow the deal

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Oct. 19, 2026 — Members of the South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative (SOCOTECO II) have approved a conditional joint venture with Ignite Power and Energy Holdings Inc. in a plebiscite, a result announced while criminal and administrative complaints over the deal remain part of the public dispute and a House probe is being sought.

According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, citing a statement from Ignite Power, the cooperative’s overall plebiscite committee proclaimed the final results on Sunday, Oct. 18. A total of 137,978 member-consumer-owners (MCOs) voted for the conditional joint venture agreement, while nearly 5,000 voted against. The yes votes represented 60.91 percent of the 226,534 eligible voters on the final master list. Voters cast 142,789 valid votes over four rounds of voting held from September to October.

Primelectric Holdings Inc., the Razon-led group that Ignite Power is part of, said the vote lets it “move forward with the work of modernizing Socoteco II’s distribution system and improving the reliability of electricity services,” according to its president and chief executive Roel Castro, quoted by the Inquirer. The proposed partnership, the Inquirer reported, includes investment to modernize the cooperative’s network, cut system losses and give the cooperative a 30-percent profit share. Former senator Manny Pacquiao backs Ignite Power and Primelectric, the report added.

The complaint behind the dispute

The vote came after months of opposition. The Manila-based Daily Tribune and The Chronicle both reported on July 26 that around 10,000 MCOs had signed criminal and administrative charges filed on July 10 before the Office of the Ombudsman. The complainants, led by Eduardo Villaluz Corteciano, Henry Singco Cadorna, Danilo Adrales Daca and Evangeline Genilo Malit together with Bantay Kuryente Consumer Watch, Inc., named officials of the National Electrification Administration (NEA) and members of the SOCOTECO II board as respondents and asked for their preventive suspension while the case is investigated.

The complaint alleges violations of Sections 3(e) and 3(g) of Republic Act No. 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, as well as administrative offenses including grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and gross neglect of duty. Among the complainants’ claims, as reported by both outlets: the deal advanced without the competitive public bidding required under NEA Resolution No. 88, Series of 2002; terms of reference were allegedly approved before the technical working group meant to draft them had been formed; NEA allowed a joint venture even though its “step-in” rights apply only to cooperatives classified as “Red,” while SOCOTECO II is classified “Yellow”; and the framework was finalized before members approved it. The reports also said two directors refused to sign the board resolutions and another signed with reservations. These are allegations in a complaint; the respondents’ side is not detailed in the reports reviewed, and none of them reports a ruling by the Ombudsman.

Lawmaker calls it a “takeover”

On Oct. 16, General Santos City Rep. Shirlyn Bañas-Nograles called the proposed deal a “corporate takeover,” saying Ignite would hold 70 percent of the venture and leave MCOs with a 30 percent minority interest, the Inquirer reported. She earlier filed House Resolution No. 1401 seeking a congressional inquiry into whether the arrangement complies with law and how Ignite was selected. The Inquirer also noted that two Catholic bishops, Diocese of Marbel Bishop Cercilo Casicas and Diocese of San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, had asked the Ombudsman to suspend SOCOTECO II board members, that legal challenges had temporarily halted the plebiscite, and that lawmakers had pushed to start an investigation amid reports of irregularities, including alleged “proxy voting.”

What it means for consumers

SOCOTECO II serves General Santos City, Sarangani and parts of South Cotabato. The plebiscite result clears a key membership hurdle for the joint venture, but the agreement is described as conditional, and the Ombudsman complaint and the House probe request have not been reported as resolved. Ignite’s stated commitments, network modernization, lower system losses and a 30-percent profit share for the cooperative, are company statements; the reports do not give a price or service-reliability target consumers can hold it to.