THE National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said on Friday that it was seeking a swift resolution of issue concerning the implementation of the Tuy-Dasmariñas Transmission Line Project.
According to the NGCP, the project hit a legal roadblock that may hamper the entry of new generation developments if not immediately resolved.
"This setback will most likely delay the completion of the Tuy-Dasmariñas project and will have an effect on transmission services. We are not only talking about the provinces of Cavite and Batangas, but the entire Luzon grid, and the interconnected Visayas and Mindanao grids," the NGCP claimed.
The firm said that it had filed expropriation cases against E.M. Ramos and Sons Inc., and several other defendants who claim interest over properties affected by 16 of the 135 towers to be constructed for the project.
It added that the project might be delayed due to the recall of the writ of possession (WOP) in one of the expropriation cases.
In 2020, the NGCP said the expropriation court already issued a WOP for three properties covering six tower sites.
However, on Nov. 10, 2023, the Regional Trial Court Branch (RTC) of Dasmariñas, Cavite, issued an order recalling the WOP and directing the relocation of one of the towers.
In a response, the NGCP filed a motion for reconsideration, arguing that ordering the relocation of public infrastructure for which an expropriation case had been filed was beyond the powers of the RTC.
In addition, the NGCP also said that St. Francis Square Realty Corp., another respondent in the expropriation case, also filed a motion for partial reconsideration requesting the relocation of another tower. Both issues remain pending.
The transmission firm said that at present, its Calaca substation was the only substation in the western part of Batangas through which over 2,000 megawatts of power were being transmitted.
"The expropriation cases were filed as early as 2019. Moreover, the issuances of the WOPs are both ministerial and summary in nature. It ought not to be the cause of delay for the implementation of a vital national infrastructure project, such as a transmission project," the NGCP said.
Read The Rest at :
