Developer bars Meralco from restoring power

Representatives of parents and teachers of two schools in Pangarap Village in Caloocan City filed a petition on Thursday to restrain Carmel Development Inc. (CDI) from preventing Manila Electric Company (Meralco) from restoring electricity in their communities after a month-long disruption.

The petition filed by parents Reynaldo Oflash of Pangarap Elementary School and Esther Dacanay of Pangarap High School before the Caloocan City Regional Trial Court seeks a temporary restraining order and writ of preliminary injunction against CDI.

Heavy monsoon rains damaged the Meralco post located along Quirino Avenue on Aug. 14 and rendered four communities, including Pangarap Village, without electricity.

Since then, more than 5,000 students in the two schools were forced to attend classes without electricity and water.

According to the petitioners, CDI explicitly barred Meralco repairmen from restoring power to the village.

The power outage also cut off the water supply for some 33,000 residents in Pangarap Village. Electricity is needed to operate its lone water pump.

On Aug. 20, after a dialogue with the two village chiefs of Pangarap Village,  Caloocan Mayor Oscar Malapitan wrote Meralco to ask for the restoration of electricity to the affected communities.—MARIEJO S. RAMOS