Seven arrested in feud within Davao del Norte electric co-op

TAGUM CITY, Philippines—Police authorities in the Island Garden City of Samal on Tuesday said at least seven people have been arrested on a charge of frustrated murder in connection with an alleged attempt to take over an office operated by a rival faction in the controversy-plagued Davao del Norte Electric Coop. (Daneco).

Senior Superintendent Roland Agohob, Samal police chief, said the suspects, members of the Daneco faction identified with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), stormed the Daneco office manned by members of the faction identified with the National Electrification Administration (NEA) in Barangay Villarica around 2:30 a.m. Monday.

The guard posted at the Daneco-NEA office was injured when the suspects fired guns, he said.

Agohob told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone that the seven suspects arrived at the Daneco-NEA office in two pick-ups and motorcycles and tried to take control of it.

Agohob said the suspects were allegedly led by Gil Florenosos, former chief of the Daneco-Samal office.

He said responding policemen recovered several spent shells from a 9-millimeter pistol and from a shotgun.

But Aurelio Cortado III, lawyer for the suspects, said there was no attempted takeover.

“The six were taken from the city hall while working on a busted transformer the local government unit had requested them to replace,” Cortado said.

He said the seventh Daneco worker taken in was Ronald Villaabrille, the boom truck driver.

“They were invited to the police station but ended up being detained and slapped with frustrated murder charges,” he said.

The seven Daneco-CDA men were released after posting bail, Cortado added.

Samal Mayor Aniano Antalan told a local television station on Tuesday that his office had indeed asked the Daneco personnel to replace the busted transformer.

The Daneco-CDA faction has officially denied participation in the supposed failed takeover of its rival’s office.

“We categorically deny that. We have nothing to gain if we are to carry out such act,” lawyer Gleen Blair Carnicer, Daneco-CDA spokesperson, said.

The factionalism in the electric utility, which serves some 165,000 member-consumers in Compostela Valley and Davao del Norte, started when several of its former officials converted it into a stock cooperative under the CDA.

The row within the electric co-op worsened in time and those who wanted the utility to remain under NEA filed charges against their former officials and questioned the validity of the referendum, which converted Daneco into a stock cooperative.

Because the NEA faction refused to recognize the results of the referendum, which was held in May, they also put up their own offices in Daneco service areas.

The emergence of rival Daneco offices in a particular area has sowed confusion among the utility’s consumers, especially in their billing and payments as each of the factions claims legitimacy.