BACOLOD City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez is now eyeing to hire a private lawyer to handle the complaints of the Bacolodnons who are planning to file a class suit against the management of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) for their damaged appliances due to power fluctuation.
Benitez said one of the suggestions of the lawyer is that the complainant should file a blotter report at the nearest police station within their barangays about their damaged appliances then proceed to the Government Center.
He said the private lawyer will be in charge of the filing of the class action suit against the Ceneco or the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
“Those who are affected by the power fluctuation, we will accommodate them and we will include their complaints against Ceneco,” he added.
Benitez noted that the damaged appliances should be validated or inspected by the electrician to prove that it was damaged due to power fluctuation.
He earlier asked the City Legal Office (CLO) to come up with findings to determine the responsibility of Ceneco after one of his new air conditioners (aircon) was damaged due to power fluctuation.
The mayor noted that under Republic Act (RA) 9136 or the Epira Law, Section 23, a distribution utility shall have the obligation to provide distribution services and connections to its system for any end-user within its franchise area consistent with the distribution code. Any entity engaged therein shall provide open and non-discriminatory access to its distribution system to all users.
According to the Philippine Distribution Code, Ceneco should comply with performance standards for distributions to ensure the quality of the electric power distribution system, the mayor said.
“It means, the quality of service is something that maybe I can ask them because my understanding is, Ceneco should have a protection system. If there’s a power fluctuation, it should not hit the consumers,” he said.