A prayer rally opposing the proposed joint venture between South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative (SOCOTECO II) and IGNITE Power drew only about 2,000 participants on Saturday, indicating limited resistance to the partnership.
This developed as thousands of member-consumer-owners (MCOs) continue to attend information sessions ahead of the September plebiscite.
The “Kahayag sa Tanan” prayer and lighting activity was held along Pioneer Avenue and Plaza Heneral Santos, with organizers calling for greater “truth, transparency and accountability” in the proposed conditioned Joint Venture Agreement (JVA).
Akbayan Youth activists, Gamay Katilingban na Kristohanon and representatives of Notre Dame of Dadiangas University joined Saturday’s rally.
General Santos City Police Director PCOL Ariel B. Acala told local media that the peaceful gathering attracted around 2,000 participants, mostly from General Santos and nearby Sarangani and South Cotabato. Rally organizers were reportedly expecting a crowd between 3,000 to 7,000.
The low rally turnout contrasted with the thousands of MCOs who have joined SOCOTECO II’s information, education and communication (IEC) campaign since Aug. 6.
The IEC sessions, conducted across General Santos, Sarangani and parts of South Cotabato, explain SOCOTECO II’s financial and operational difficulties and the investments proposed under the partnership with IGNITE Power.
Several MCOs attending the sessions have openly backed the JVA, citing recurring outages and the need to modernize the cooperative’s distribution system. The vice mayors of Maasim and Alabel have also expressed support for the partnership.
The proposed JVA will ultimately be decided by SOCOTECO II’s MCOs, with the agreement requiring the prescribed majority vote during the September plebiscite.
