• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Bacolod Regional Trial Court Branch 42 Judge Maria Lina Gonzaga has ordered the suspension of the continued plebiscite on the Joint Venture Agreement between the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) and Primelectric Holdings Inc., scheduled on July 1, following issuance of a Temporary Restraining Order for a period of 72 hours.
In her decision dated June 29, Gonzaga issued the TRO after petitioners Consumers and Representatives of Negros Consumers’ Watch and convenors of Anti CENECO JVA Coalition filed a motion for reconsideration on the denial of the TRO.
Petitioners have sought the declaratory relief and declaration of nullity of the JVA between CENECO and Primelectric with the application for issuance of Preliminary Injunction and/or a TRO.
Gonzaga set the hearing on the preliminary injunction sought by petitioners on July 3.
CENECO has been ordered by the court to submit the necessary evidence, relative to the required massive information dissemination campaign, which they claimed to have been complied (activities which should have been done prior to the signing of JVA).
Parties are directed to comply with the requirements of the law and to submit their respective evidence on the compliance to the legal requirements of massive information education and communication campaign (IEC) in the district levels within the electric cooperatives’ coverage area, Gonzaga said.
Jonathan Cabrera, MORE Power media officer, yesterday said that Primelectric and CENECO will present proof of IECs within 72 hours, in compliance with the court order, as he also expressed hope of lifting the TRO.
Gonzaga also ordered the petitioners to include the National Electrification Administration (NEA) in their petition, stressing that the agency has the administrative supervision over electric cooperatives.
The JVA plebiscite has been scheduled to continue on July 1 and 2, as well as July 8 and 9.
However, for now, the July 1 JVA plebiscite has been suspended by the court.*
