POWER RESTORED. Electricity has been restored in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Misamis Occidental and parts of Lanao del Norte as the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) energized the Baloi-Aurora 138-kiloVolt line on Wednesday (Oct. 26, 2022). The NGCP erected an Emergency Restoration System to restore the affected line in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte. (Photo courtesy of NGCP)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Power service is restored in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Misamis Occidental, and parts of Lanao del Norte, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said Wednesday.
Elizabeth Ladaga, NGCP public affairs officer for Western Mindanao, said the Baloi-Aurora 138-kiloVolt (KV) line, which serves the three areas, was restored at 4:39 a.m. Wednesday.
The NGCP expedited the dismantling of toppled Tower No. 8 and set up an Emergency Restoration System (ERS) to energize the affected line about 36 hours after Monday’s bombing incident.
The particular tower, located in Sitio San Isidro, Barangay Babumgayan, Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, was bombed by lawless elements at 4:50 p.m. Monday.
Police and military troops who rushed to the explosion site found a dead person near the toppled structure.
It remains unclear if his death is related to the bombing of the tower.
“It is NGCP's mandate to provide reliable power transmission services. We are committed to our mandate, and we will continue to deliver on this commitment, despite challenges posed by lawless elements,” the NGCP said in a statement Wednesday.
“We laud the efforts and bravery of our line personnel who pursued immediate restoration without hesitation. We thank the local police and armed forces who secured the area and ensured the safety of our people.”
Brig. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete, the Army’s 1st Infantry Division commander, said a military detachment nearby heard two explosions at the time of the incident.
Army personnel discovered fragments of a 60-mm. mortar and other paraphernalia for a homemade bomb at the toppled power pylon, he said.
Meanwhile, the NGCP said malicious activities intended to damage or cripple its transmission lines and facilities only burden ordinary power consumers.
It urged the public to report any suspicious activity involving the NGCP's transmission facilities through their hotline numbers. (PNA)
