COTABATO CITY – Suspected rebels blew up a power pylon in southern Philippines cutting off electricity in at least three provinces, but there were no reports of casualties from the attack, officials said Friday.
The attack late Thursday occurred in North Cotabato’s Pikit town where several rebel groups – Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and jihadists – are actively operating.
The pylons in the region 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 bombing despite repeated attacks since early this year. The military said NGCP has its own personnel guarding the steel pylons.
The blast affected the provinces of Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato and Maguindanao in the Muslim autonomous region. It was the 11th attack this year alone.
No individual or group claimed responsibility for the bombing, but the attack occurred just a day after NGCP proposed to “criminalize the planting of tress and other activities beneath transmission lines.”
NGCP said it has teamed up with local governments in Mindanao to solve the escalating right-of-way violations in the region by lobbying for the passage of a provincial ordinance to back up its proposals.
It said the intentional planting of trees under transmission lines adversely affects power delivery to the provinces of Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Bukidnon, North Cotabato, Maguindanao, Zamboanga City, and the rest of the grid.
Land owners have repeatedly rejected NGCP’s demand unless it pays them for the use of their estate. NGCP holds the 25-year concession contract to operate the country’s power transmission network. (Mindanao Examiner)
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