Thursday, September 01, 2005
30% water rate hike in Davao suspended (5:04 p.m.)
By Aurea A. Gerundio
DAVAO CITY -- A Regional Trial Court in Davao City suspended Thursday the 30 percent water rate increase, scheduled to be implemented by the Davao City Water District (DCWD) starting Friday.
RTC-11 Executive Judge Renato A. Fuentes, acting on the complaint filed by four city councilors, issued a 72-hour temporary restraining order (TRO) on the water rate increase.
"(DCWD) and the Local Water Utilities Administration, through its officials and employees are ordered to desist, restrained and prevented from imposing the proposed 30 percent water rate increase, within 72 hours," Fuentes stated in an order issued Thursday.
Councilors Victorio S. Advincula Sr., Diosdado A. Mahipus Sr., Bonifacio E. Militar and Peter T. Laviņa filed a case against the DCWD and LWUA for the preliminary injunction and TRO on the 30 percent water rate increase.
"We may have differences in other matters in the City Council, but this time we are one for the good of the people of Davao," Militar said, adding that the 30 percent increase is too much.
Laviņa, meanwhile, questioned the LWUA for deciding over the 30 percent increase without the approval of the National Water Resources Board (NWRB).
Based on the plaintiffs' complaint, copy of which was obtained by Sun.Star, the approval of the LWUA on the water rate increase announced by the DCWD today is "illegal and invalid."
The plaintiffs claimed that the matter of fixing water tariffs is therefore no longer vested with the LWUA, but with the NWRB.
The plaintiffs pray that after due trial on the merits of their complaint, the court will render judgment making the injunction permanent. (Sun.Star Davao) |
