Transco strengthens drive vs. pilferage

CEBU - The National Transmission Corporation strengthens its campaign against pilferage or the act of stealing of wires or any tower materials that belong to Transco.

Transco is now doing information dissemination of Republic Act 7832 or Anti-Electricity and Electric Transmission Line Materials Pilferage Act of 1994 which penalizes anyone who violates the provisions of the law.

Benjamin Ypil, Transco spokesperson, said that they are encouraging the public to report any act of pilferage they know for the safety of Transco towers and for the convenience of the public.

Ypil said that stolen pieces make Transco towers incomplete and weak which may trigger its collapse. By this, electric power will be perturbed in houses whose lines for electric transmission are connected to the collapsed tower.

In the Visayas, particularly in Cebu, there are a lot of pilferage cases that have been reported prompting Transco to tighten its security for towers.

Ypil said those who are greatly affected by pilferage are telecommunication companies.

Transco team is conducting a regular meeting with metal scrappers urging them not to buy tower materials which are clearly identified and described to them. These materials include angular bars, connectors, tower plates, bolts and nuts, aluminum wires and insulators.

RA 7832 prohibits any person to cut, saw, slice, separate, split, severe, smelt, or remove any electric power transmission line or material or meter from a tower, pole, or any other installation or place of installation or any other place or site where it may be rightfully or lawfully stored, deposited, kept, stocked, inventoried, situated or located, without the consent of the owner, whether or not the act is done for profit or gain.

It is also prohibited to take, carry away, remove or transfer, with or without the use of a motor vehicle or other means of conveyance as well as to store, possess or otherwise keep in his premises, custody or control.

Violation of the law shall penalize the caught person a 12 to 20 years imprisonment and P50,000 to P100,000 fine.

Meanwhile, Transco employees lobby for job security as it is not yet clear to them whether they will be absorbed or laid off soon as Transco changes its management along with its privatization.

Early this year, Monte Oro Grid Resources who has partnered with State Grid of China won the bid and was awarded 25-year concession to operate Transco which shall be called the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines.

Monte Oro which won for 3.95-billion-dollar offer is now working out for a franchise to be secured from the Congress before Transco could finally be turned over to the company.

Ypil said the target for the turnover was supposed to be last November 3 but because the winning bidder was not able to secure a franchise immediately, it moved its target to January.

He said the debate for the controversial JPEPA in the Congress caused the delay on the discussion for the franchise of the National Power Grid.

Ypil added that Monte Oro only has a year to secure for the franchise; otherwise, Transco will be back to the government which will open it again for bidding.

Once Monte Oro has the franchise, it shall pay in advance the 25 percent of the bid price which is about one billion pesos while the rest will be paid within 20 years of its operation.

Ypil said that right now, they do not know what awaits them when Transco will finally be turned over to Monte Oro. The moment the company secures a franchise, there will be a 165-day transition period for Transco employees.

He said they are not sure what will happen within the 165 days aside from normal working days with normal pay. He also said that evaluation and assessment might be done. — Jessica Ann Pareja/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)