DAVAO del Norte Electric Cooperative Incorporated (Daneco)-National Electrification Authority (NEA) encourages Dabawenyo power consumers to settle their payments in order to help the cooperative in paying the P2.1 billion debt to its power suppliers.
With the recent cease-and-desist order (CDO) NEA issued against Daneco-Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) last November 9, NEA project supervisor Mario Angelo Sotto said there are no reasons now for consumers to pay to CDA.
The CDO is pursuant to pertinent provision of Republic Act 10531, otherwise known as the National Electrification Administration Reform Act of 2013.
Sotto underscored the importance of paying electric bill only to NEA.
“Ang gusto namin na maiparating sa mga consumers ay hindi na dapat sila magisip pa kung sino ang legal dahil ang NEA lang authorized ng gobyerno (What we want to let our consumers know is that they do not have to doubt who is the legal one because NEA is already authorized by the government),” Sotto said on Monday, November 19, during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao.
Daneco Inc. legal counselor Daniel Campoamor added consumers must pay their electric bill because CDA is not registered under the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
“Daneco-CDA does not have the franchise issued by the Congress. They do not have Tax Identification Number (TIN). Daneco-CDA does not have the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) approved power rates. And they do not have any contracts with the power suppliers of Daneco,” Campoamor said.
Despite the squabble between NEA and CDA, Elvera Alngog, NEA internal audit manager said the company records consistent increase payment collections.
“Last October 2018, we collected P443 million collection,” Alngog said, adding that the company is expecting a P450-million collection by November because of the effect of the issued CDO.
Sotto said this increase in the collection is the result of the serious campaign by NEA to its consumers to make sure to only pay to the authorized company.