Thursday, January 31, 2008 No proof NPA burned electric pole: investigator
THERE is no proof that the New People’s Army was behind the burning of a wooden electric post in Upper Pitalo, San Fernando, Cebu, a police investigator said yesterday.
The burning of the National Transmission Corp. (Transco) pole caused a 13-hour blackout in 16 towns and 1 city in the franchise area of Cebu Electric Cooperative (Cebeco)-1 in southern Cebu.
The incident has prompted Transco to intensify its program on replacing wooden poles with steel ones.
Minimal effect
At the Capitol, an official said the incident will have “minimal or no effect” on the province’s investment promotions.
Cebu Provincial Police Office (CCPO) Director Carmelo Valmoria, meanwhile, has ordered all police stations to strengthen measures in securing vital installations in their respective areas.
The CPPO and the San Fernando Police Station are still trying to determine and identify who were behind the burning of the post Monday night.
Reminder
Valmoria said he already issued a similar directive before and that he only reiterated his order as a reminder to all the chiefs of police for them to review their security measures after the incident.
Valmoria said that if it happened in San Fernando, it is not a remote possibility it will also happen in the other areas if the police and other government agencies will not be vigilant.
Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Ronald Roderos, in an interview over GMA7 Balitang Bisdak, said the incident was an isolated case.
Like Valmoria, Roderos assured the public, especially the business sector that there is nothing to be alarmed about.
SPO3 Joseph Yongco, acting San Fernando police chief, said in a telephone interview that he and his team of investigators are still looking for witnesses that will help them identify those responsible for the burning.
He said most of the residents in Pitalo they talked to did not witness the incident or were far from the place when it occurred.
Yongco said he was already informed about Valmoria’s order to strengthen their monitoring.
He said that since Monday, San Fernado policemen, together with tanods from the different barangays, have been conducting random patrol in the different areas in the town.
Transco spokesman Ben Ypil, meanwhile, said the pole that was burned Monday night was already due for replacement with lightweight steel poles.
“Of the 104 steel poles allocated to replace wooden poles in Cebu last year, only five remained un-utilized, it was learned,” Ypil said in a press statement.
He said Transco will intensify its security and safety information drive to heighten public awareness and get them involved in the campaign to protect transmission lines and other power facilities.
He said Transco officials met with Valmoria yesterday to map out strategies for police to safeguard vital power installations in the province.
Valmoria also invited line foremen of Cebeco and Transco, who first responded to the fire alarm, to give an account of the incident.
Officials of different business groups have separately urged the police to identify and punish those behind the incident saying it could scare potential investors and jeopardize business.
At the Capitol, however, Consultant Rory Jon Sepulveda “might have minimal or no effect at all on programs of the Cebu Provincial Government.”
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia has asked Valmoria to give her a copy of the report on the incident, radio dyLA reported yesterday.
Garcia is expected to report back to work today from her trip to Dubai. She was one of the speakers in the Euromoney Infrastructure Conference. (JST/EOB/ With KNT and DRT of Sun.Star Superbalita)
