| Picket rally set vs. electric coop directors |
| Written by Eldie S. Aguirre | |
| Friday, 24 October 2008 | |
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Member/consumers of Davao del Sur Electric Cooperative, Incorporated (Dasureco) are set to join the march rally and to establish a picket line outside its office perimeter in Barangay Cogon starting on November 3 until its board of directors will step down from their post.
Governor Douglas Cagas criticized Dasureco board chairman Artemio Tajon and his members for using the writ of preliminary injunction the local court had issued as their shield to continuously cling on to their respective positions even if most of them are serving beyond the three term limit provided by National Electrification Administration (NEA).
Cagas also hit RTC-18 presiding Judge Marivic Daray for delaying the issuance of the decision to the case filed by the late Dominador Bendigo in Civil Case No. 4629 asking for the nullity of the 1993 election code.
Daray issued a temporary restraining order on April 1, 2005 refraining Dasureco from conducting the election of its board of directors.
In the hearing of the case on July 5, 2005 Daray granted the writ of preliminary prohibitory injunction until such time the main case could be resolved on condition that the plaintiffs and plaintiffs-intervenors in the person of Dominador Bendigo, Sr.; Aurora King; and Clemente Quiñones will file an injunction bond in the amount of P300 thousand each to be utilized as payment to the other party all the damages they may sustain due to the issuance of the injunction.
On July 27, 2007 Noel Legaspi – a defendant/intervenor to the said case filed a motion to schedule the election of the board of directors in Sta. Cruz town due to the death of Bendigo who was the chairman of the Dasureco Electrification Board (DEC) of the said town.
Bendigo who was the principal complainant to the civil case filed against Dasureco, its manager Jesus de la Victoria, et al was also the chairman of the board of directors in the provincial level. Tajon inherited his position.
“All is set. We already have a meeting with those who are interested to join the protest action against the Dasureco board of directors who refused to gave up their positions despite the fact that their terms have expired long time ago,” Cagas said during a radio interview over DXDA-FM in Digos City.
He also announced that the mayors in the municipality of Bansalan, Matanao, Padada and Malalag would be joining the rally.
“There would be thousands of Dasureco member/consumers who will be with us during the scheduled day. We would be there at the picket line until the directors would step down and the elections will be set,” Cagas said.
On the other hand, Digos City Mayor Arsenio Latasa expressed his willingness to send a delegation to the scheduled march rally and picket line outside the perimeter of Dasureco on November 3.
“I am hoping that this dilemma would be resolved by the court before November 3, otherwise the members of Dasureco board of directors would be put to shame since we could no longer restrain those who will join the protest action whatever issues they would raise at that time,” Latasa said during a press conference on Thursday.
Documents gathered from Dasureco office showed the board of directors is composed of 13 people to wit: Artemio Tajon (Digos-North) president (last election March 30, 2003 – last term); Eme Ferolino (Magsaysay) vice-president (last election March 29, 2003 – last term); Leopoldo Cruz, Sr. (Kiblawan) treasurer (Last election April 12, 2003- last term); Clemente Quiñones, Jr. (Digos-South) assistant treasurer (last election March 27, 2003 – last term); Aurora King (Hagonoy) secretary (Last election March 31, 2002 – last term).
Member of the board are: Glenn Solana (Sta. Cruz) Last election April 19, 2008 (first term); Carlos Torreon (Bansalan) appointed in the year 2007; Generoso Alagdon (Matanao) Last election April 05, 2003 (2nd term); Perfecto Ordaneza (Padada) Last election March 27, 2002 (2nd term);
Victor Gubatan (Sulop) Last election April 13, 2003 (last term); Mateo Cabante (Malalag) Last election April 20, 2003 – last term; Roberto Mariscal (Sta. Maria) Last election April 24, 2005 – 2nd term; and Jaime Muñoz (Malita/Jose Abad Santos) Last election April 06, 2003 – last term.
The said board of directors also snubbed the media forum initiated by Radyo-Ukay Digos City on October 23 for them to clarify matters pertaining to the issue.
“I am very disappointed with what they did as a response to my formal invitation to the Dasureco board of directors,” Emmuel Tawi, the forum’s host said. |