The National Electrification Administration (NEA) held a dialogue with members of the group that splintered from the Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Daneco) amid their continuing defiance of court rulings in favor of the NEA-backed Daneco.
Atty. Goldelio Rivera, the NEA Deputy Administrator for Legal Services, led agency officials in meeting with the Daneco faction headed by its representative Noel Quidilla after their brief demonstration outside the agency’s office in Diliman, Quezon City on Wednesday.
The group was associated with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) whose registration currently hangs in the balance as it was deemed illegal in view of several court resolutions that were issued vis-a-vis the Daneco controversy.
Be that as it may, the NEA officials listened to what the Daneco breakaway group had to say, including their requests for the removal of the lawfully-recognized organization put in place by NEA in 2012, the recognition of their registration at the CDA as a stock cooperative, and permission to regain control of the management and operations of the distribution utility in Davao del Norte.
In response, Rivera and his fellow deputy administrators said they would relay their message to NEA chief Edgardo Masongsong. They also committed to look into the group’s other claims, such as the issuance of two electric bills that have been causing confusion among the power consumers.
At present, only the legitimate Daneco organization backed by NEA has been recognized by financial institutions like banks and government instrumentalities like the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
The judiciary had earlier ruled with finality on the issue with the Supreme Court affirming the Court of Appeals’ decision stating that the actions of the Daneco splinter goup were void from the beginning and that subsequent moves by the same––such as the holding of a referendum––were likewise null and void.
On hand during the dialogue were NEA Deputy Administrators Sonia San Diego (Electric Cooperatives Management Services), Atty. Rossan Rosero-Lee (Special Concerns), Atty. Vicar Loureen Lofranco (Corporate Resources and Financial Services) and Director Nollie Alamillio (Instutional Development Department).
Masongsong was not around to face the group as he was out attending a business meeting. In a statement, however, he assured all concerned parties that the rule of law shall apply with respect to the issue.
“Let me assure all the parties to this long-running feud that all measures being taken by the NEA is in accordance with its mandate and the rule of law, with the end in view of finally removing the member-consumer-owners in Davao del Norte and Compostella Valley in the cross-fire. We are cognizant that they are the ones most affected by this,” he said.
