THE spate of bombings and right-of-way issues hounding the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has prompted stakeholders to appeal to the House of Representatives' energy committee to craft a legislation that would put an end to these acts of sabotage.
The Mindanao Coalition of Power Consumers (MCPC), during Wednesday’s consultative meeting of the House Committee on Energy at the Mindanao University of Science and Techonology (MUST) in Cagayan de Oro City, called on legislators to pass a law prohibiting the planting of trees and construction of structures within the line rights-of-way of any existing electric power transmission and distribution lines.
The group also urged the Philippine Army to enforce such law in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur and in other provinces where the presence of the police has not deterred perpetrators from sabotaging NGCP’s pylons.
The NGCP has reported that in 2015, 18 of its transmission towers were targeted, and of these 14 were bombed, resulting to eight toppled power structures and six damaged.
The same NGCP report lists a pylon pilfered and felled while three were found with unexploded improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
These destroyed pylons, according to NGCP, are located in Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato, and Marawi City.
This year, two transmission towers in Aleosan, North Cotabato and in Bobong, Lanao del Sur, were bombed, although they were not toppled.
Because of this, the NGCP said, power supply in Mindanao was interrupted and power outages were experienced in many parts of the island. The presence of trees and other vegetation under the transmission installations have likewise contributed to the interruptions.
The problem prompted the MCPC to ask the legislators to order the military in securing the transmission lines, especially in Lanao provinces.
Meanwhile, Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Representative Rufus Rodriguez, Energy Committee co-chairperson, said a solution may be found in the establishment of more armed auxiliary units that would guard the power facilities particularly in areas where transmission towers had been destroyed or are under threat.
General Demy Tejares of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division supported Rodriguez’s proposal, saying the military does not have the manpower and resources to guard all the NGCP towers.
Rodriguez also pointed out that some 13 million voters in Mindanao would be affected if the Mindanao power grid collapses due to transmission tower bombings and right of way issues.
Rodriguez said the 13 million votes in Mindanao constitute 23 percent of the 54.4 million total voters in the entire country.
Lawyer Mutya Alabanza, NGCP spokesperson, said they are considering the proposal of having a paramilitary group keeping watch over the transmission towers.
“That (proposal) is being considered by the NGCP. We are studying it, making sure that everything is above board and everything is with legal basis,” Alabanza told reporters during the consultative meeting.
Meanwhile, Police Director Isagani Nerez said that the four suspects behind the Tower 25 explosion had already been charged with destruction of property recently.
Aside from that, Nerez said the perpetrators are also facing other criminal charges, adding that the NGCP should put in place a reward system that would help authorities identify and arrest persons who are responsible for the bombings.
Energy Secretary Zenaida Monsada said their office is working on ensuring that there is enough power in the coming elections.
Monsada said one of the contingency measures is to provide power utilities and cooperatives with backup generators in case of power shortages.