SC: Meralco cannot disconnect consumer's electric service without 48-hour notice

The Supreme Court (SC) has ruled that the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) cannot disconnect a consumer’s electric service without a 48-hour notice. It declared as violative of due process requirements if Meralco disconnects the consumer’s electric service on the day the notice of disconnection is issued. Should Meralco disconnect an electric service on the day the notice of disconnection is issued, “Meralco is presumed to be in bad faith for its failure to follow the due notice requirement under Republic Act No. 7832,” the SC’s public information office (PIO) said in a press statement issued on Friday, June 30. RA 7832 is the Anti-Electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage Act of 1994. A copy of the SC’s resolution or decision was not provided for by the PIO.  The ruling has neither been uploaded in the SC’s website. The PIO said the SC’s ruling “denied the petition of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) assailing a Court of Appeals (CA) decision which affirmed that the electric firm violated RA 7832 … for cutting off the electricity supply of a consumer without prior notice.” Since a copy of the SC resolution or decision is not available, Manila Bulletin is publishing the press statement of PIO: “In her complaint for damages against Meralco, respondent Lucy Lu alleged that on Dec. 9, 1999, representatives from Meralco forcibly entered the premises of the New Supersonic Industrial Corporation (NSIC) in Valenzuela City, which her family owned. “After the inspection, the Meralco representatives issued a Notice of Disconnection and immediately disconnected the electricity supply of NSIC’s factory and Yu’s residence. “Respondent Yu then filed a complaint for damages before Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Valenzuela City, Branch 172. The RTC ruled in Yu’s favor prompting Meralco to elevate the case to the CA, which affirmed the RTC ruling with modification. “Meralco then appealed before the High Court. “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 RA 7832, there must be prior written notice to the consumer to disconnect. “The Court emphasized that the said prior written notice must be given at least 48 hours prior to the disconnection, pursuant to due process requirements. “Thus, the act of Meralco in cutting off the respondent’s electricity on the same day the disconnection notice was given to the consumer was violative of due process requirements. “The Court further held that Meralco is presumed to be in bad faith for its failure to follow the due notice requirement under RA 7832 during the disconnection of the Yu’s electric service. “Hence, it (SC) denied Meralco’s Petition for Review on Certiorari, and affirmed the Decision dated Nov. 26, 2020 of the CA in CA-G.R. CV No. 111808, as follows: the award of temperate damages is reduced to P50,000; the award of moral damages is deleted for lack of basis; and the award of exemplary damages is reduced to P100,000. The Court ordered that the rest of the CA ruling stands.” The PIO did not disclose the other salient points of the CA’s decision.