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Ruffy Magbanua

THE burning of transmission towers in Mindanao is not a new modus operandi of electric terrorists. As far as we can recall, power lines, with all their exposure and frailty, are physically prone to burning and–well, toppling by lawless individuals  with impunity.

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Though standing tall and sturdy, these tower pylons are just like humans – fragile and extra vulnerable that most often than not, become powerless and helpless when unceremoniously attacked   by hungry vultures — tearing down the very core of our local economy.

Think of all the thousands of towers erected all over Mindanao, crisscrossing populated communities, rivers, lakes and mountain ranges and consequently, what comes into our minds are the susceptibility of these man-made power structures designed to deliver one of  modern man’s most basic needs  – electricity.

With the long running pylon-bullying binge being executed randomly by the so-called electric terrorists, power consumers in Mindanao are facing bleak summer ahead, as unscheduled power interruptions come easy like a thief lurking for his prey in the dead  of the night.

This gloomy power forecast becomes double-edged sword as the feared El Nino phenomenon intensifies as summer months come close  and  are seen in not so far a distant.

Of late, some key areas in Mindanao are now taking  the initial tinge of pain as distribution utilities start implementing three to four hours of blackouts.

Sadly enough, more power interruptions may be felt in the coming days if electric pylons continue to lay flat on the ground due  to sporadic bombings and burning by people tainted with dirty money on their heads.

Yet despite the commissioning of a new coal-fired power plant in Davao, Mindanao is consistently suffering from  negative power reserve, a chilling power outlook in these days of swerving hot temperatures and annoying news of terrorist attacks on NGCP’s electric pylons.

Sans skepticism, power is the soul of our economic life, without it, everything will come to a standstill  notwithstanding the burden  consumers face — pass-on charges for every electric pylon toppled down.

Somewhere down memory lane, we can still vividly recall how a 138-kv tower  planted right smack in the middle of a pineapple plantation in Malaybalay, Bukidnon was destroyed in the open,   this time, sawed-off overnight reportedly by a notorious  gang of thugs whom up to this day remain at large, hiding in their mountain lairs –  alive and kicking.

Or a 69-kv line cutting across a private property in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon being burned to the hilt, sending NGCP linemen to panic as they struggle doubly hard to get access from the rowdy land owner to put off the fire that had engulfed electric posts down to its knees.

And worse, along the main transmission highway that traversed the troubled Lanao areas, 138 kv towers, built in the ’70s, are constant victims of habitual bombings – a never-ending episode of economic sabotage courtesy of the government’s ineptitude in dealing Mindanao’s power sector concern.

All these led us to another story – that for every tower bombed, burned or sawed-off, the first to benefit were corrupt contractors hired to restore fallen power structures.

Reportedly in cahoots with some unscrupulous transmission line personnel, they ended up laughing all the way to the bank, again at the expense of electric consumers. Tsk, tsk. More bombings,   more money.

Indeed, monkey business does thrive not only in the halls of Congress, but also in the corporate walls of big power industry players.

Calling the attention of Mayor Digong Duterte–your political mantra of stamping out corruption in government applies as well to the country’s power sector.

Hopefully, as we come close to the May 2016 elections, the island’s 13 million registered voters would consider writing on their respective ballots a strong-willed President with a heart for Mindanao.

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