Subdivision sues VECO

CEBU, Philippines - The Visayan Electric Company (VECO) faces a civil suit for disconnecting the electrical service of a company allegedly without basis.

Ken Salimbangon, marketing director of CKL Real Estate Corp. which their family owns and operates, filed a civil suit for injunction with prayer for the issuance of a temporary restraining order and writ of preliminary injunction against VECO.

Salimbangon said that power was disconnected in one of their company’s project, a subdivision called Cielo E Terra located at 1530 East Capitol Hills corner Acacia St., Cebu City Unit.

“It was on August 8, 2011, when defendant company illegally and improperly disconnected the electrical service to the unit under the name of the plaintiff on the baseless and unfounded charge that plaintiff violated Republic Act 7834,” the complaint against VECO reads.

Salimbangon said VECO claimed that upon inspection they found something was wrong with the electrical meter of the unit. The inspection was done without his presence on July 6, 2011.

He added that they had no participation in the installation of the electric meter, as it was the VECO which did it.

“Neither did the plaintiff tamper the said meter in a manner that would pilfer the use of electricity such that it would prevent the defendant company from registering and billing the actual usage of electricity,” Salimbangon said.

Salimbangon said they were required by the VECO to pay a total of P86,869.55, the bulk of which represents a differential billing in the amount of P80,244.98 plus surcharges and inspection cost, without due process of law.

“This differential billings, as well as inspection cost (which are an unapproved cost) are clearly illegal and invalid,” he said.

They said they wrote a demand letter to VECO but got no reply.

Salimbangon said on September 12, 2011 he filed a formal complaint before the Energy Regulatory Commission, Visayas Field Office on the illegal disconnection of electrical service.

However, he said that up to this time, VECO continues to refuse to re-connect the electric service to the unit.

Salimbangon then asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order and to re-connect the electric service.

They asked the defendant to pay them not less than P100,000 for exemplary damages, not less than P100,000 for moral damages and attorney’s fees and litigation expenses of not less than P30,000.

VECO public relations officer Ethel Natera, when called by The FREEMAN, said they have yet to see a copy of the complaint as they were busy yesterday focusing on the disaster preparations because of typhoon Ramon. — (FREEMAN)