BACOLOD CITY – Police arrested five persons for stealing underground copper cable wires owned by a telecommunications firm worth P750,000 in Barangay Mansilingan here before dawn on Saturday, February 17.

FIVE persons were arrested for stealing telecommunications cable wires worth P750,000 in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City on Saturday, February 17. (Photo courtesy of Bacolod City Police Office)
The suspects were a father and son from Bago City, Negros Occidental and three men from Quezon City and Romblon.
Police Capt. Andy Ofalia, head of Police Station 7, said they were conducting mobile patrol when they saw a group of individuals working on the road.
Police observed the suspects disguised as linemen wearing reflective clothing and using traffic cones conducting maintenance using a Fiber Infrastructure and Network Services Inc. (FINSI) access pass and working permit.
Ofalia said they called the telecommunications firm to confirm the maintenance activity in the area. However, the company denied conducting such work, prompting lawmen to apprehended the suspects.
A brief chase ensued in which five were arrested and three others escaped.
Ofalia said suspects use a dump truck to extract cable wires from a manhole.
The suspects stayed in a lodging house in Barangay Taculing here for about five days to prepare for their target. Ofalia said they planned the heist and studied the area.
Ofalia said they are probing the background of the suspects and check if the owner of the dump truck is involved.
Robbery charges will be filed against them on Monday, February 19. Suspects are detained at Police Station 7.