Nat’l grid seeks help vs attacks

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines  (NGCP) is seeking informants who can report on suspicious activities around its transmission towers as attacks on its facilities continue.

The country’s transmission system operator appealed to the public to help monitor the safety of the towers so that transmission services would remain uninterrupted.

“If anyone sees anything suspicious at or around our towers and facilities, please inform us immediately. You may text us your tips and other information at 0917-8791077,” the company said.

The NGCP said attacks on its facilities seem to be escalating.

Just eight days after three NGCP towers in Patani, Marawi City, were bombed, another tower in the same area was targeted on the evening of Nov. 6. The company said Tower 13 along the Agus 2-Kibawe 138-kilovolt  line 2 in Guimba, Marawi City, was bombed by unidentified perpetrators, making it the 10th tower to be bombed this year.

While the explosion did not topple the tower, the damage it sustained has placed the transmission facility in a more critical condition, the NGCP said.

It said it was able to fully restore  the Agus 2–Kibawe 138kV line 2 at 1:50 p.m. on

Nov. 9 by implementing temporary measures to transmit electricity produced by Agus 1 and 2 hydropower plants to the rest of the Mindanao grid.

 Three towers bombed

Last Oct. 29, three towers along the same transmission line were bombed. Of the three, two structures, towers 19 and 20, were toppled. The third tower, 21, sustained damage but was not toppled.

The NGCP said the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces are leading the investigation and are exerting all efforts to catch the perpetrators.

“This is the 10th tower bombed by lawless elements in 2015 alone, with five towers bombed within the month of October. We are very concerned that this situation seems to be escalating, with each incident happening progressively close to each other,” the company said.

It said several other bombs were found in its facilities, but these did not detonate and were safely disposed of.

 Uncooperative landowners

Another problem, the NGCP said, is that restoration of transmission services to affected areas are often hampered by uncooperative landowners who are preventing NGCP personnel from conducting much-needed vegetation-clearing activities.

It said the military is now assisting NGCP personnel in entering the properties of the uncooperative landowners speed up power restoration.

The NGCP has repeatedly appealed to the government and the Army for assistance in resolving escalating security and right-of-way issues in Mindanao.