COTABATO CITY – Suspected rebels blasted two power pylons in southern Philippines and cutting electricity in many areas in the restive region where security forces are battling insurgents, officials said Saturday.
Captain Jo Ann Petinglay, a spokeswoman for the 6th Infantry Division, said another explosive planted on a third pylon was also disarmed by troops in the town of Pikit in North Cotabato province before midnight Friday.
She said the pylons are being operated by the privately-owned National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), but it was unknown why it failed to detect or stop the twin bombings which occurred in the village of Batulawan.
Petinglay said each tower is manned by a caretaker who is employed by NGCP payroll. “These caretakers are responsible for looking after the towers and reporting presence of threat in the area,” she told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
Petinglay said the bombers used 60mm mortars to topple down the steel pylons and that another bomb was discovered nearby. “NGCP towers 44 and 45 were toppled down by improvised explosive devices that caused a three-hour blackout in some areas of North Cotabato, South Cotabato and Maguindanao provinces,” she said.
Just early this year, rebels also bombed and destroyed a power pylon in the town of Pagalungan in Maguindanao province. The powerful blast disabled NGCP Tower 26 near Galakit village and totally cut off electricity in many areas in the province and neighboring municipalities. The blast affected the 138KV transmission line servicing the area.
The motive of the attack is still unknown and no individual or group claimed responsibility for the bombings, but previous bombing of steel pylons in the region were largely blamed to Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels who were allegedly extorting money from NGCP. (Mindanao Examiner)
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