Gen. Dionardo Carlos, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), ordered on Saturday, Dec. 4, to look into the bombing of a transmission tower of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ (NGCP) in Maguing town of Lanao del Sur.
“The investigation will establish what really transpired. We are also coordinating with NGCP and other possible witnesses of the bombing incident,” said Carlos.
He said the PNP strongly condemns this terroristic act that only brought more suffering to people in affected communities.
“The PNP understands that this incident will further burden the public as service interruption of power supply is inevitable. The PNP will exert all effort to identify and arrest those responsible," Carlos said.
Based on the statement released by the NGCP, Tower #65 of the Agus 2-Kibawe 138kV line in Maguing, Lanao del Sur was bombed on Thursday, Dec. 2.
"Repair of tower 65 will commence as soon as the area is secured. This transmission line segment has been unenergized since September 2021 due to sabotage of its insulators by still unknown individuals," the statement read.
"The company stresses that the bombings only serve to increase the burden of the public, which must suffer through service interruptions when towers are bombed," it added.
The NGCP also appealed to the local and national government, local community leaders, and the public, to help identify the perpetrators of the bombings, and to negotiate with uncooperative landowners, to prevent longer power interruptions.