218039555 Rizal Light Co v Rizal

  • Upload
    ley092

  • View
    40

  • Download
    0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

  • 5/21/2018 218039555 Rizal Light Co v Rizal

    1/3

    RIZAL LIGHT & ICE vs.THE MUNICIPALITY OF MORONG, RIZAL and THE PUBLIC SERVICCOMMISSIONSeptembe !", #$%" Za'd()a, *+

    Fat-. (Note: this decision is a consolidation of 2 cases)

    Rizal Light & Ice Co. was granted by the Coission a certi!cate of "#blic convenience

    and necessity for the installation$ o"eration and aintenance of an electric light$ heat an"ower service in the #nici"ality of %orong$ Rizal

    Coission re#ired the "etitioner to a""ear before it to show ca#se why it sho#ld not b"enalized for violation of the conditions of its certi!cate of "#blic convenience and thereg#lations of the Coission$ and for fail#re to co"ly with the directives to raise itsservice voltage and aintain the within the liits "rescribed in the Revised 'rder No. of the Coission$ and to ac#ire and install a ilowatteter to indicate the load inilowatts at any "artic#lar tie of the generating #nit

    *he otion was set for hearing and %r. +edro ,. *alavera$ Chief$ Ind#strial -ivision of the

    Coission$ was a#thorized to cond#ct the hearing for the rece"tion of the evidence ofthe "arties

    or fail#re of the "etitioner to a""ear at the hearing$ C/mm(--(/n /deed t0eane''at(/n and e)/at(/n /1 pet(t(/ne2- et(3ate /1 p4b'( /n)en(ene annee--(t5 and t0e 1/1e(t4e /1 (t- 1an0(-e

    +etitioner oved for reconsideration of said order on the gro#nd that its anager was naware of said hearing

    inding that the fail#re of the "etitioner to a""ear at the hearing/ the sole basis of therevocation of "etitioner0s certi!cate / was really d#e to the illness of its anager$ theC/mm(--(/n -et a-(de (t- /de /1 e)/at(/n

    #nici"ality forally ased the Coission to revoe "etitioner0s certi!cate of "#blic

    convenience and to forfeit its franchise on the gro#nd$ aong other things$ that it failed co"ly with the conditions of said certi!cate and franchise

    ins"ections had been ade of "etitioner0s electric "lant and installations

    1hen the case was called for hearing$ "etitioner failed to a""ear again so #nici"ality

    was then allowed to "resent its doc#entary evidence$ and thereafter the case was

    s#bitted for decision on the basis of the ins"ection re"orts$ Coission fo#nd that the "etitioner had failed to

    co"ly with the directives and had violated the conditions of its certi!cate of "#blicconvenience as well as the r#les and reg#lations of the Coission /deed t0e

    ane''at(/n and e)/at(/n /1 pet(t(/ne2- et(3ate /1 p4b'( /n)en(ene ant0e 1/1e(t4e /1 (t- 1an0(-e

    "etitioner oved for reconsideration of the decision b#t before said otion for

    reconsideration was !led$ %orong lectric !led with the Coission an a""lication for acerti!cate of "#blic convenience and necessity for said service

    +etitioner o""osed the a""lication of %orong lectric

    I--4e-. (only those relevant to our topic)

    () 1'N the Coission acted witho#t or in e3cess of its 4#risdiction when it delegated thehearing of the case and the rece"tion of evidence to %r. +edro ,. *alavera who is not allowed bylaw to hear the sae

    5"etitioner contends that while %r. +edro ,. *alavera$ who cond#cted the hearings of thecase below$ is a division chief$ he is not a lawyer. 6s s#ch$ #nder ,ection 72 ofCoonwealth 6ct No. 89$ as aended$ the Coission sho#ld not have delegated tohi the a#thority to cond#ct the hearings for the rece"tion of evidence of the "arties

    (2) 1'N the cancellation of "etitioner0s certi!cate of "#blic convenience was #nwarrantedbeca#se no s#cient evidence was add#ced against the "etitioner and that "etitioner was notable to "resent evidence in its defense

  • 5/21/2018 218039555 Rizal Light Co v Rizal

    2/3

    5"etitioner contends that the evidence consisting of ins"ection re"orts #"on which theCoission based its decision is ins#cient and #ntr#stworthy in that () the a#thors osaid re"orts had not been "#t to test by way of cross5e3aination; (2) the re"ortsconstit#te only one side of the "ict#re as "etitioner was not able to "resent evidence in defense; (7) 4#dicial notice was not taen of the testiony of %r. ect that the "etitioner had i"roved service before its electric "ower "lant was b#rned which testiony contradicts theins"ection re"orts; and (8) the Coission acted both as "rosec#tor and 4#dge / "assin

    4#dgent over the very sae evidence "resented by it as "rosec#tor / a sit#ation ?notcond#cive to the arrival at 4#st and e#itable decisions?

    He'd.#+ YES BUT+++

    Indeed$ %r. *alavera is not a lawyer. @nder the second "aragra"h of ,ection 72 ofCoonwealth 6ct No. 89$ as aended$ the Coission can only a#thorize a division chieto hear and investigate a case !led before it if he is a lawyer.

  • 5/21/2018 218039555 Rizal Light Co v Rizal

    3/3

    to "resent evidence$ as well as its fail#re to cross5e3aine the a#thors of the ins"ection re"ort"etitioner sho#ld not co"lain beca#se it had waived not only its right to cross5e3aine b#t alits right to "resent evidence.