The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the Manila Electric Company or Meralco to give at least 48 hours written notice before cutting the electrical connections of unpaid consumers.
The decision comes after the high tribunal denied a petition of the Meralco appealing the decision of the Court of Appeals (CA), which affirmed the decision of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Valenzuela City, Branch 172.
The filed petition opposes SC’s claim that they violated the Anti-Electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage Act of 1994 or Republic Act 7832, for disconnecting the electric supply of a consumer without notice.
"In denying Meralco's petition for review on certiorari, the Court ruled that before Meralco can disconnect the electric service of a consumer on grounds cited under Section 4(a) of R.A. 7832, there must be prior written notice to the consumer to disconnect," the Supreme Court said in a statement on Friday.
It later claimed that Meralco had violated a consumer's right to due process with its disconnection notification.
"The Court further held that Meralco is presumed to be in bad faith for its failure to follow the due notice requirement under R.A. 7832 during the disconnection of the Yu's electric service," said the higher court.
The case began after a Meralco consumer, Lucy Yu filed a complaint. According to her, a firm's representatives forcibly entered her office at the New Supersonic Industrial Corporation (NSIC) in Valenzuela City on Dec. 9, 1999, and cut off the supply after inspecting the area, resulting in the loss of power at Yu's residence and the NSIC factory.
