The Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association Inc. said Friday that Northern Davao Electric Cooperative Inc. can still seek a temporary restraining order to maintain its franchise through 2028 for mainland areas and 2033 for the Island Garden City of Samal.
PHILRECA, in a statement, expressed support for NORDECO and more than 200,000 member-consumer-owners in Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro in a legal battle to uphold “community-backed and service-oriented power distribution.”
The association said NORDECO’s ongoing dispute with Davao Light and Power Co. goes beyond power distribution.
“Beyond wires and poles, the electric cooperative model is a testament of community-based, people-driven initiatives to energize households, boost the economy and ensure a brighter future,” the group said.
PHILRECA said electricity is a public service that must be owned by the Filipino people. It noted that all electric cooperatives operate as regulated entities under the law, with direct supervision from the Department of Energy, the Energy Regulatory Commission and the National Electrification Administration.
Serving for more than four decades, NORDECO remains a steadfast partner of the national government for total electrification, PHILRECA said.
Furthermore, the association urged local government units to champion the interests of their people by enriching the sense of cooperativism and recognizing the significance of electric cooperatives in driving rural development.
In an earlier statement, NORDECO said its franchise still exists and will co-exist with that of Davao Light, pursuant to the 1987 Constitution as interpreted in the ILECO I, ILECO II, ILECO III vs. MORE Power case.
NORDECO said the writ of possession issued by the Regional Trial Court covers only the line assets of 26 out of 46 barangays, rather than the entirety of Samal.
