Friday, March 28, 2008 Lorega bry. caught stealing Veco power By Linette C. Ramos Sun.Star Staff Reporter
LOREGA barangay officials are in trouble after the Visayan Electric Co. (Veco) caught them illegally tapping electricity from the company’s posts.
Veco cut off the barangay hall’s power supply yesterday morning.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he will not help the barangay officials, who will have to answer for their offense themselves.
Veco spokesperson Ethel Natera said they learned of Lorega’s illegal connection during a random inspection early yesterday morning.
Lorega Barangay Captain Lorenzo Monsanto, however, believes one of the barangay councilors reported the illegal connection to Veco.
Barangay officials can be charged with violating Republic Act 7832 or the Anti-Pilferage Law but Natera said they will be given a chance to settle the bills and penalties incurred for the period they have been tapping from Veco’s posts.
“We cut off their line because of pilferage and not because of non-payment of bills. They connected their lines directly to Veco’s posts without getting a connection to the meter, and that is illegal under RA 7832,” Natera told Sun.Star Cebu.
Veco cut off power supply to the barangay hall and the barangay sports complex, which houses the birthing center and the office of the deputy mayor in the barangay.
Osmeña had designated Lorega first councilor Fritz Herrera as the deputy mayor in the barangay shortly after the barangay elections last October, saying he anticipated a breakdown in the delivery of services there.
Monsanto said in a radio dyAB interview that they have been getting power supply from the Veco connection of the chapel beside the barangay hall even before he took over as barangay captain last December. He said they didn’t know they were tapping from the Veco post.
The barangay hall does not have its own connection because it was not issued a building permit and electrical permit, requirements for a Veco connection.
In his news conference yesterday, Osmeña said there is no excuse for what the barangay officials did.
“It’s not an excuse for stealing electricity. They can always make arrangements to get those permits.... They have to answer for this. Why will we assist them when this is something that should be within their responsibility?” said the mayor.
Natera said they have already referred the matter to their metering services department, which in turn would consult their legal department.
She said they would find out Lorega’s monthly electricity consumption by checking what appliances and equipment are being used.
Veco would charge them the full five-year recoverable amount as prescribed under the law, unless the barangay officials prove that they tapped electricity for a shorter period.
