Consumer advocacy group CitizenWatch Philippines urged the national government to implement stiffer penalties against cable theft, which it said, has a significant long-term effect on the country’s digital infrastructure and economy.
CitizenWatch Philippines co-convenor Orlando Oxales said that cable theft has resulted in service outages that affected approximately 100,000 customers this year alone when telecom companies reported about 1,800 incidents of cable theft across the country.
“Each incident is estimated to cost around P2 million, representing repair of damaged infrastructure, according to the National Telecommunication Commission,” said Oxales.
“This is tantamount to economic sabotage. No less than the National Telecommunication Commission has said these lead to millions of pesos in losses and service disruptions,” he added.
Oxales traced the rampant cable theft practices to the high value of copper in the black market, which he said, is a big incentive to thieves.
As a result, Oxales said 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 2 to 5 years with fines ranging from ₱50,000 to ₱100,000, under Republic Act No. 10515, also known as the “Anti-Cable Television and Cable Internet Tapping Act of 2013”.
Oxales said 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. It also hampers economic activities that rely on stable telecommunication networks,” he said.
He added that these activities support just about everything from online businesses, banking services, government operations, even online classes for the youth.
“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,” he said.
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.”
He added that reliable telco services are crucial to emergency response in times of disaster, especially for a country like the Philippines that is vulnerable to typhoons and earthquakes.
“Our ability to respond to national emergencies, such as typhoons, earthquakes, or man-made crises, depends largely on effective communication systems,” he said. He cites the same need in terms of law enforcement and national security operations.
“The ability of the police, military, and emergency services to communicate effectively is contingent on secure and functioning networks. Theft, vandalism, or sabotage of this infrastructure puts our public safety and national defense at risk, exposing the country to heightened security threats.”