KIDAPAWANCITY (MindaNews/19 May) — The Regional Trial Court Branch 17 has set for May 31 the second hearing on the case filed by Vice Mayor Joseph Evangelista against the National Power Corporation (Napocor) and other energy service providers on the city’s demand for its share of 25% load dispatch during energy crises.
The city has been suffering from long power outages.
Napocor filed a motion to dismiss the case but Evangelista’s lawyers opposed it during the preliminary hearing on May 17.[]
Both parties were ordered to submit a memorandum of their motions and argumentations. The court also ordered the submission of data as to the megawatts the geothermal power plants of the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) generated last April.
This, the court explained, would determine if the 25 percent priority load dispatch from the geothermal power plants the city hosts, was supplied to Cotelco.
Evangelista’s lawyer, Gary Vergara, cited as basis for their opposition to dismiss the case, the guidelines issued in March 2002 by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) that prohibit parties to file motion to dismiss on cases involving mandamus.
