RESIDENTS here won a temporary respite Tuesday night after a local court issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), stopping the Cagayan de Oro Bulk Water Inc (Cobi) from turning off the supply in the city.
Judge Ana Candida Casiño of the Regional Trial Court Branch 17 issued the TRO Tuesday night, almost ten hours after COBI, the city’s main water supplier, cut off the water supply to the city over a disputed P479 million debt.
Casiño directed Cobi and the Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD), the city’s water distributor, to present their respective pleadings over the multi-million debt.
Cobi alleged that COWD owed them P479 million in unpaid water bills, an accusation which COWD denies.
COWD Chief Antonio Young claimed a “force majeure provision” in their contract, stating they were unable to collect the amount because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
After several negotiations, Cobi decided to cut off the water supply to the city Tuesday morning, affecting 13 barangays in the city.
Residents lined up at refilling shops all over the city in anticipation of a water shortage.
As soon as the TRO was released Tuesday night, the local government of Cagayan de Oro deployed policemen and soldiers to the Rio Verde water plant in Baungon town to open the water valves.
