ILOILO City – The fight is not over yet.
Panay Electric Company (PECO) would be filing a motion for reconsideration to the Regional Trial Court (RTC, Branch 39) that dismissed its complaint against Regulation Ordinance No. 2017-095 mandating a “card system” in the reading of electric meters.
“Local court pa lang ini. May Court of Appeals pa ta and then damo-damo pa sang affiliate courts nga avenues naton to bring this case. PECO is ready to go all the way,” said Pastolero.
Regulation Ordinance No. 2017-095 approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod last year requires PECO to establish a meter reading card system that regularly updates people of their electricity consumption.
Under this system, PECO must display in each consumer’s house or establishment a card on which the monthly consumption would be indicated every meter reading period.
The ordinance was a response to consumers’ complaints primarily about the inaccurate reading of their electric meters resulting to higher charges.
On Aug. 7, 2017 PECO filed a special civil action (declaratory relief with prayer for the issuance of a writ of preliminary injunction against the city government) asking the court to stop the implementation of the ordinance pending the resolution of this case.
PECO asked the court to determine the validity of the Meter Reading Card System Ordinance and eventually declare it null and void.
According to PECO’s legal counsel Aida Rose Villanueva, the city council had no jurisdiction or power to enact a meter reading card system ordinance because PECO was under the regulatory supervision of the Energy Regulatory Commission as provided for in the Electric Power Industry Reform Act.
The other day, Judge Victor Maniba of RTC, Branch 39 dismissed PECO’s complaint because, according to Councilor Joshua Alim who sponsored Regulation Ordinance No. 2017-095, PECO and its legal counsel failed to show up in the scheduled hearing.
Under the Rules of Court, the plaintiff or complainant should be present during the pre-trial or the case would be dismissed, said Alim, a lawyer.
“When the dismissal of the case becomes final, pwede na ma-implement ang meter reading card ordinance,” said Alim.
Early last year, PECO announced it would be improving its metering system using the modern automated metering infrastructure.
PECO believed “smart meters” would be a “permanent solution” to the billing issues of its customers.
“All readings are programmed to go directly to the computers of PECO without any actual meter readers needed on the field. This eliminates the human factor in meter reading and customers can fully rely on the accuracy of the billing,” said Mikel Afzelius, PECO’s corporate communications officer.
Another advantage of the smart meter is its being tamper proof, he said.
“These new meters have sensors inside it that if anyone will try to tamper them they will automatically shut down and be reported in PECO’s system,” said Afzelius./PN
