BACOLOD City – About a hundred households in Purok RDM, Barangay Singcang-Airport were affected by the Central Negros Electric Cooperative’s (Ceneco) routine clearing inspection, meter elevation and investigation of reported illegal use of electricity, among other activities.
Village chief Rosinie Distrito said several residents are using generator set power supply and solar power. Ceneco cut off the power supply following reports of wire-tapping.
He appealed to Ceneco to be considerate to affected households because they just relocated following the demolition of their shelters.
The barangay provided the affected residents the temporary relocation, Distrito said.
The households reportedly wire-tapped in nearby households as there were no existing electricity lines at the site.
According to Distrito, the residents are now processing their applications with Ceneco.
He justified that the RDM residents have not wire-tapped directly at the electric lines of Ceneco, but it was done by passing through the electric meter of a member-consumer.
In one electric meter, 22 households were reportedly wire-tapping.
Ceneco acting general manager Danny Pondevilla said the apprehension aims to stop illegal activities punishable by Republic Act 7832, or the Anti-electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage Act of 1994, which include illegal tapping, installation of jumper and tampering of kilowatt-hour meters, among others.
This initiative has led to several crackdowns, most recently a case of illegal tapping of numerous houses attached to a single meter, he added.
Ceneco encouraged its member-consumer-owners to report such activities through the “Bantay Kuryente” campaign./PN
