Bacolod City court restrains Baciwa-Prime Water venture

By Dolly Yasa

 

BACOLOD City – Bacolod Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr. said the Regional Trial Court Branch 45  issued Tuesday a 20-day Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) they sought against the joint venture between the Bacolod City Water District and Prime Water that is supposed to commence on Nov.1, 2020.

The TRO is an offshoot of the petition for injunction with prayer for a Temporary Restraining Order filed by Amlig-Tubig, an alliance of concerned water consumers.

Gamboa informed Daily Guardian that the next hearing will be on Nov. 9 which will tackle the preliminary injunction and declaration of the nullity of the joint venture contract.

“Prime Water will not takeover Baciwa yet this coming Nov. 1, 2020 as planned due to the TRO of 20 days issued by the court. Critical is the Nov. 9 hearing because both sides will present their arguments and defense,” Gamboa said.

In a 2-page order, RTC Branch 45 Presiding Judge Phoebe A. Gargantiel-Balbin said the TRO is meant to preserve the status quo until the preliminary injunction shall have been heard and determined.

The TRO will also give the court the time and opportunity to decide on the issue without it becoming moot and academic.

Earlier, BACIWA chairman of the Board Atty. Lorendo Dilag announced that Baciwa and Prime Water signed on July 17, 2020 the Joint Venture Contract in Bacolod.

He said by November 1, or after the 3-month transition period, Prime Water will commence implementing its P1.6-billion pipe-laying project.