By Juzel L. Danganan/ Philippines News Agency
THE National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) on Friday condemned what it called “an act of sabotage”—the throwing of a tree branch tied to a rope at NGCP’s Baloi Agus 2’s 138 kilovolt (kV) Line 1 in Barangay Adapun Ali, Balo-I, Lanao del Norte, on Wednesday morning.
Lawyer Cynthia D. Perez-Alabanza, NGCP spokesman and head of the company’s Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department, said in a statement that such “act of sabotage” directly caused the Baloi-Agus 2 138-kV transmission line to trip, which then isolated the Agus hydroelectric plants that supply power to the rest of Mindanao grid.
Earlier, NGCP was reported to have cut the power connection of the two units of the Agus hydroelectric plants, which have a total capacity of 82 megawatts, from Mindanao grid, after a tree branch attached to a rope damaged the plants’ transmission lines.
Alabanza clarified impressions that NGCP deliberately cut off the power connection of the two units of the Agus hydroelectric plants.
She reiterated that, “unidentified perpetrators’ act of sabotage [i.e., a tree branch tied with rope intentionally thrown at a transmission line] directly caused the Baloi-Agus 2 138 kV transmission line to trip, which isolated the Agus hydro plants supplying power to the rest of Mindanao grid.”
NGCP appealed anew to the public to respect transmission right-of-way clearances to prevent power interruption and accidents.
Just a week ago, Line 2 of the same Baloi-Agus 2 line was similarly sabotaged.
Line 2 has been out since July 12 after unidentified persons maliciously erected a bamboo pole within NGCP’s right-of-way corridor, causing the transmission line to trip.
Attempts to reenergize the line failed after claimant over the property refused NGCP access to the transmission lines to conduct restoration activities.
Since it started operations, NGCP has been the subject of harassment by persons who claim that they own the land under the company’s transmission lines and towers.
While local governments have set the assessed and market values of the lands affected, the owners invariably ask for more and the company’s refusal to agree to the higher rates have resulted in a rash of transmission tower bombings and other acts of sabotage against its facilities.