By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent
REP. Rufus Rodriguez of the city’s 2nd District on Wednesday said he would file a bill to compel landowners to allow power utility firms to have access to private property in order to repair power lines.
Rodriguez said he hoped to author and have the proposed measure approved before he steps down as a congressman next year.
He said this following reports that a landowner in Marawi City identified by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) as Mitmug Dimaampao prevented the firm’s linemen from reparing a damaged line within his property, aggravating the power shortage in Mindanao this week. The NGCP said it isolated nearly 30 mw from the Mindanao grid.
“Any private individual should allow linemen of any electric company to enter their private property if it has something to do with the power supply and power distribution,” said Rodriguez, adding that public interest is at stake.
He said the Marawi incident only highlighted the need for a law that would protect power consumers from uncooperative landowners.
Elizabeth Ladaga, an NGCP spokesperson, said the firm has long been calling on local governments and communities to help in addressing NGCP’s problem on massive vegetation near power lines because these have adversely affected the power supply.
Ladaga said NGCP executives did the rounds to ask local legislators to pass ordinances to prevent tree-planting near power lines.
She said the NGCP also sought ordinances that would prevent landowners from barring linemen from their properties in situations when power lines have to be fixed.
Ladaga said the problem is prevalent in the Lanao provinces where Mindanao’s primary source of hyroelectric power is.
“Walay pay ilang nahimo nga ordinance mag-ban sa pagtanom ug mga kahoy sa ubos sa among mga power lines apan amo nang na-estorya ang governor sa Lanao del Sur ug Lanao del Norte,” Ladaga said.
Only the legislatures of Bukidnon and Zamboanga Sibugay have passed ordinances that NGCP sought, she said.
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