TransCo rushing repairs of bombed towers in South

MANILA, Philippines – The National Transmission Corp. (TransCo) has started emergency repairs on damaged power lines after armed men blew up five electric towers in separate incidents since Tuesday in Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur and Sarangani.

Beth Ladaga, communications officer of TransCo-Lanao, said company engineers and linemen are repairing the destroyed transmission towers that had caused power failure in the affected regions.

The latest bombings occurred last Friday in the towns of Bubong in Lanao del Sur, and Kauswagan and Bacolod in Lanao del Norte.

Last Tuesday transmission towers in two towns in Sarangani were also bombed.

Large areas of Northern and Southern Mindanao suffered major electricity disruptions last week after still unidentified suspects blasted power transmission towers.

Police said the suspects allegedly used cellular telephones to detonate the explosives that destroyed the electric towers.

TransCo officials said that since January this year, some 23 transmission towers in Mindanao have been destroyed by lawless elements.

Bambi Capulong, spokesman of TransCo’s Southeastern Mindanao office, said a technical problem occurred at around 9:31 a.m. Friday morning that caused the tripping of the Agus 2-Kibawe138KV lines 1 and 2 as well as the Tagoloan-Pulangi 138KV lines 1 and 2.

Capulong said the tripping of the transmission lines also affected the power lines in Southern Mindanao, particularly the Davao, Cotabato and General Santos areas. – Edith Regalado, Lino de la Cruz