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Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Innove intensifies campaign against cable theft
Globe Telecom’s wholly owned subsidiary Innove Communications Inc. is intensifying its campaign to prevent the theft of its cables in its service areas in Luzon and the Visayas by focusing on preventive measures this year.
According to Innove’s customer operations support head Leoncio Cantonjos, the losses incurred by the company due to cable theft have been increasing.
Innove’s losses due to cable theft from January last year to June this year are estimated to have reached P29.2 million.
“But this is just a fraction of the real cost. It is difficult to quantify the (cost of the) services disrupted (due to cable theft). The offenders do not realize that they are not only stealing from Innove but also from customers who benefit from the services the company offers,” Innove residential and business group head Ramon Antonio Pineda said.
In Cebu alone, some P1.4 million worth of cables have been stolen from the company from January to June this year.
Last year, Innove lost P3.1 million to cable thieves.
Cantonjon said cable theft is an industry problem.
Rival telecommunications company Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) also has its “Bantay Linya” program, which encourages the community to get involved in watching over telephone lines by calling PLDT’s 164 hotline.
Cables are made of copper wire. The thieves burn the cable to detach the rubber insulator and sell the wires to junk shops. In
2003, a kilo of copper wire cost P84.
Innove is also going after junk shops that buy stolen cables so the owners will be prosecuted for violations of the Anti-Fencing Law.
Cantonjon said Innove has boosted its “Bantay Kable” program, a community-based security project mobilizing local barangay officials, community volunteers and law enforcement agencies for monitoring.
Aside from working with the police, the company is offering cash rewards to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest of thieves.
“We want the public, especially our subscribers, to be aware that such offenses are being committed against them and that we are not taking these incidents lightly. We are seriously pursuing those who are committing these wrongdoings, as we intend to make them accountable for cutting and stealing Innove’s cables. We also want to ask for the cooperation of our customers on this effort,” he said.
In Cebu, Cantonjong said cable thieves have been apprehended in Talamban, Naga, Carcar, the North Reclamation Area, Sibonga and Balamban.
The police also caught three suspects, who are now serving six-year jail terms, in Negros Occidental. (JBN)
(July 13, 2005 issue)
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