The ongoing registration of voters in Bacolod City was temporarily suspended after the Central Negros Electric Cooperative disconnected the power supply of the Bacolod City government Thursday, citing the city’s failure to pay its accounts with the power firm.

The city, in return, padlocked the administrative building of CENECO after revoking its Mayor’s Permit for its failure to also pay its franchise taxes and real property taxes to the city.

Bacolod Election Officer Mavil Majarucon yesterday said the electricity of the Comelec Office in Bacolod was cut off Thursday. She inquired from Secretary to the Mayor Vicente Petierre III when power will be restored, she said, but was told that there is no definite date yet.

The Bacolod City Hall is presently being powered by generators and business continues as usual.

Majarucon said she sent an incident report to the Comelec Manila yesterday to inform them of the disconnection implemented by CENECO because, once the registration has started, it should not be stopped.

She said she is trying to work out where they could possibly put up a temporary satellite office until normal power is restored to the Comelec Office.

Majarucon said she went to SM Bacolod to inquire if they can put up a temporary satellite office for free. She was asked to write a letter to be referred to the mall manager, she said.

“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused especially to the 30 applicants whom we turned down yesterday,” Majarucon said. They cannot issue a voter’s certification if there is no electricity to power their computers, she said.

The registration of voters ends December 15, 2009, Majarucon said.*CGS

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