Stiffer penalties sought for theft of telco cables

MANILA, Philippines —  A consumer advocacy group has called on the government to institute stiffer penalties against cable theft, saying these incidents have a significant long-term effect on the country’s digital infrastructure and economy.

“This is tantamount to economic sabotage,” said CitizenWatch Philippines co-convenor Orlando Oxales in a statement. “No less than the National Telecommunication Commission has said these lead to millions of pesos in losses and service disruptions.”

This year, telecom companies have so far reported about 1,800 incidents of cable theft across the country, leading to service outages that affected approximately 100,000 customers. Each incident is estimated to cost around P2 million, representing repair of damaged infrastructure, according to the NTC.

The practice has been rampant because of the high value of copper in the black market, Oxales said. “This is a big incentive to the thieves.”

As a result, telcos face significant disruptions especially in rural areas, where access to telecom infrastructure is crucial to local economies and public services. Currently, cable theft is penalized with imprisonment for a period of two to five years with fines ranging from 50,000 to 100,000, under Republic Act 10515, also known as the “Anti-Cable Television and Cable Internet Tapping Act of 2013.”

Oxales added that the protection of telecommunication infrastructure must be classified as a serious crime punishable with higher fines and longer jail time.

“This is because cable theft not only disrupts connectivity in individual households,” he said. “It also hampers economic activities that rely on stable telecommunication networks.”

Oxales said, these activities support just about everything from online businesses, banking services, government operations, even online classes for the youth. “It is the backbone of our daily lives.”

“Specifically, small and medium enterprises are vulnerable. Just a few hours of service interruption could result in operational delays. This would then translate to revenue loss and customer dissatisfaction.”

Oxales said that protecting telco infrastructure is not just a matter of personal convenience or business interest. “It’s an issue of national security, economic stability, and public welfare.”