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A Regional Trial Court in General Santos City has denied a request to temporarily stop South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative (SOCOTECO II) from continuing discussions with Razon-led Ignite Power over a proposed modernization initiative, ruling that the petitioners failed to establish a legal basis for the extraordinary relief they sought.
Request For TRO Denied
In an order dated July 6, Judge Roel John M. Ladeza of Regional Trial Court Branch 35 denied the application for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and a writ of preliminary injunction in Special Civil Case No. 26-916. The ruling allows negotiations authorized under SOCOTECO II Board Resolution No. 28 to proceed while the main case remains pending.
The petition was filed by six member-consumer-owners of the electric cooperative, who sought to prevent the cooperative’s board and Ignite Power from pursuing further discussions after the board conditionally accepted the company’s modernization proposal.
The petitioners argued that SOCOTECO II should instead pursue conversion into a stock cooperative under the Cooperative Development Authority, asserting that this option is provided under Presidential Decree No. 269, as amended by Republic Act No. 10531.
No Clear Legal Right
In denying the request, the court ruled that the petitioners failed to demonstrate a “clear and unmistakable right” that would justify the issuance of a TRO or preliminary injunction.
Judge Ladeza said the law grants the option to convert into a stock cooperative to the cooperative itself, not to individual member-consumer-owners. He also noted that SOCOTECO II’s bylaws do not authorize members to initiate such a conversion.
The court likewise found that the alleged injury cited by the petitioners was speculative, emphasizing that Board Resolution No. 28 merely authorizes negotiations with Ignite Power and does not prevent the cooperative from considering a future proposal to convert into a stock cooperative.
“The extraordinary remedies sought cannot issue on the basis of rights that remain subject to judicial determination or injuries that are merely anticipated or contingent,” the court order stated.
Negotiations May Proceed
The ruling clears the way for SOCOTECO II and Ignite Power to continue discussions on the proposed modernization plan while the underlying case remains before the court.
Ignite Power has previously maintained that no final negotiations have been concluded and that no formal joint venture agreement is currently in place.
The company’s legal officer, Allana Mae Babayen-on, earlier said any potential partnership with SOCOTECO II would still require the approval of the cooperative’s member-consumer-owners through a democratic vote before it could move forward.
Ignite Power is a partnership between Primelectric Holdings Inc., led by businessman Enrique Razon Jr., and MP Holdings, the investment firm of former senator Manny Pacquiao.
The court’s latest order addresses only the petition for provisional relief and does not resolve the merits of the broader legal dispute, which remains pending before the Regional Trial Court.
Source:
https://tribune.net.ph/2026/07/11/court-clears-way-for-razon-firms-talks-with-south-socoteco-ii-2
