BIFF blamed for bombing of NGCP steel tower in Mindanao

COTABATO CITY, Philippines—Suspected Moro rebels on Tuesday night bombed one of the steel towers of National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), leaving Maguindanao, parts of North Cotabato and Cotabato City, without power for more than two hours.

Capt. Joanne Petinglay, speaking for the 6th Infantry Division, said the toppled tower was in Barangay (village) Gilakit, Pikit, and was bombed at about 9 p.m., cutting power transmission from Bukidnon to Simuay in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.

Power was restored at about 12 m.n. after the NGCP obtained power from the Tacurong sub-station.

No one has claimed responsibility but local police and military authorities saw the “signatures” of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

The IED series attached to three of the four feet of steel tower simultaneously went off.

It was detonated using a mobile phone, Lt. Col. Audie Edralin, chief of the Army’s 7th Infantry Battalion said.

NGCP personnel are now trying to repair the toppled transmission tower.

“The attack, although it did not cause loss of lives, was obviously intended to sabotage the normalcy and the peaceful situation in the area. Its effect to the economic activity in affected areas could not be taken for granted even if power came back after almost 3 hours of black out,” Petinglay commented.

The area is known to be where the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters usually operate.

The BIFF has always denied allegations that they had attacked civilian facilities, asserting that they only attack military personnel and installations.

Led by former 105th Base Commander Ustadz Ameril Umra Kato, the BIFF broke away from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front after serious disagreements on the conduct of the peace negotiations with the government.

Meanwhile, the military has already deployed troops that would provide security for the NGCP personnel repairing the damaged tower.