DAVAO CITY — The Cotabato Electric Cooperative (Cotelco) has cut-off the power supply at the Hall of Justice in Kidapawan City for failure to settle the P300,000 accumulated power bills.
On Thursday, the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) in Kidapawan City asked its clients for understanding as its operation is jeopardized due to power problem. It also failed to conduct court hearings since January 3, when the government resumed work.
In a notice posted at their office, the PAO states “Please bear with us, for more than a week we have no electricity at the Hall of Justice due to unpaid electric bills,”
But it clarified, that the problem is temporary as they are now addressing the issue, so power supply will be restored.
Despite the power problem, the PAO is still rendering legal services such as legal counseling and notarization of ready-made legal documents like Personal Data Sheet (PDS) and Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) for notarization that no longer need printing or photo-copying.
Cotelco general Manager Godofredo Homez in a radio interview said “We have no choice but to cut the power supply.”
“In the same interview, Homez added “We considered previous delays in payment due to the pandemic but the time has come that we need to cut off power in compliance to cooperative policy.”
The budget for the courts are included in the annual procurement plan of the Hall of Justices in the country which is embodied in the Annual Budget of the Supreme Court.
The budget for the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses is downloaded from the Supreme Court budget which is passed through the tribunal but until now, the Kidapawan Hall of justice has yet to receive the fund to pay its bill.-ezc
