BACOLOD City – Primelectric Holdings, Inc. / Negros Electric Power Corporation (NEPC) and Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) will file a proof of information, education and communications (IECs) within 72 hours.
Judge Maria Lina Gonzaga of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 42 granted the motion for reconsideration (MR) filed by Negros Consumers’ Watch after the court denied on June 22 the petition for declaratory relief and declaration of nullity of the Primelectric-Ceneco joint venture agreement (JVA) with application for the issuance of a preliminary injunction and/or temporary restraining order(TRO).
According to Jonathan Cabrera, spokesperson of Primelectric, during the open court hearing yesterday afternoon, June 29, RTC Branch 42 issued a 72-hour TRO relative to the declaratory relief, pending the respondents’ (Ceneco and Primelectric) submission of evidence of the conduct of an IEC on the JVA.
He said they will file within 72 hours the IECs and hope that the court will lift the TRO.
Ceneco and Primelectric executed the JVA to improve power distribution service in the cooperative’s franchise areas covering the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Talisay and Silay; and the towns of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto in Negros Occidental.
The JVA will become effective once majority (50 percent plus one) of Ceneco’s member-consumer-owners (MCOs) will ratify it in a plebiscite.
Ceneco has scheduled six days plebiscite .The first two days were already finished (June 24 and 25). There are four remaining plebiscite days – July 1, 2, 8, and 9.
Cabrera clarified that the 72 hours include the plebiscite on July 1, as this is the only day affected by the TRO.
The July 2, 8, and 9 scheduled of the plebiscite are not suspended.
Earlier, the court denied the petition citing for non-compliance with the specific provision of the law./PN
