MANILA, Philippines — Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas and MORE Electric and Power Corp vowed on Saturday to arrest and file cases against individuals who illegally sell power connections there.
“We will apply the national law. All law enforcement agencies PNP and City Hall are supposed to implement the law. And I will implement the law. I have no choice. I will file cases if need be. For the bail bond, the amount is double the amount of pilfered power. So it will be very harsh,” Treñas was quoted as saying in a statement issued by MORE Power.
The mayor made the remark after two suspects were arrested for removing an electric meter of distribution utility MORE POWER in Arevalo District in Iloilo City.
Police arrested Nazareno Pagayon, 54, a barangay tanod, and Jason Mark Gualin, 26, who for allegedly “dismantling the MORE Power electric meter.”
The suspects are now in jail pending the filing of a case for violation of the Anti-Pilferage of Electricity Act and Theft of Electric Transmission Lines and Materials Act of 1994.
Treñas also urged residents to stop pilfering electricity and apply for regular power connections under MORE Power’s iKonek program, which is a joint understanding with the city government.
Aside from this, MORE Power established one-stop shops to process the application for regular power connection accounts, which could be processed in 10 to 12 days.
/atm