DAVAO CITY – The municipal government of Asuncion in Davao del Norte is experiencing power blackout for “more than 48 hours already” after the Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative Inc., which is managed by the National Electrification Administration (NEA) cut the power supply to the LGU, a local official said.
Municipal mayor Joseph Nilo Parreñas said the power connections under the local government unit was cut at around 2:00 am on Wednesday.
“Tanang pasilidad sa gubyerno giputlan nila, gidaog-daog nila (All power connections of the government offices here were cut, they are oppressing us),” Parreñas said in an interview with Radyo ni Juan Tagum on Thursday.
Parreñas said even the whole market place and the health centers “have no power connections.”
Parreñas said the reason for the cutting of power connections was because they paid their previous electric bills to the faction of Daneco under the Cooperative Development Authority (Daneco-CDA).
Parreñas said they were paying to Daneco-CDA until September of last year.
“We started paying our electric bills to Daneco NEA on December last year and they received our partial payment. But on the following months of January and February this year, they stopped receiving our payment,” Parreñas said.
Daneco Nea demanded that the Asuncion LGU pay the total cost of the payment given to Daneco CDA, said Parreñas.
Parreñas said their record shows that they owe Daneco-Nea with at least P1 million only but the company’s record said “we owe them P4 million to P5 million.”
“We have already requested for the reconciliation of our dues,” said Parreñas, but Daneco-Nea refused to accept the payment of almost P400,000 by the municipal government.
Parreñas said the Supreme Court has not yet decided on who is the legal entity between Daneco Nea and Daneco CDA.
Parreñas said they see “oppression” on the part of Daneco-Nea. He said the court’s instruction was to pay to any Daneco “but ensure to secure a receipt.”
Parreñas said they already requested a court order for the immediate reconnection of their power supply.
Asuncion Police station is now relying on a borrowed generator sets to continue operation.
Chief of police Michael Seguido said the power interruption has greatly affected their operation as “crime reporting and monitoring requires the use of internet.”
The generator set, he said, was borrowed from another LGU office “which do not function for 24 hours”.
On July 28, Daneco-CDA’s collection centers in Gaisano Grand Mall Tagum including its sub-offices in Mabini, Pantukan towns and other offices in Compostela Valley, Kapalong and Asuncion towns in Davao del Norte were padlocked by Davao del Norte police authorities and NEA’s legal officers.
The order came after NEA issued a Cease and Desist Order against Daneco-CDA.
In an interview with ABS-CBN, Engr. Godofredo Guya, project manager of Daneco Nea, said their action is legal. (davaotoday.com)
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