ILOILO City – Most fire occurrences in this city were due to illegal electricity connections, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). Thus the best way to avoid fire is not to engage in power pilfering, stressed City Fire Marshal Christopher Regencia.
Many fire victims would insist to BFP investigators they did not even have electricity, said Regencia, but physical evidence would show otherwise.
“Our men discovered marami silang wiring sa loob ng bahay…naputol ang wiring. Kung wala kasing dumadaloy na kuryente, hindi ‘yan mapuputol,” said Regencia.
He was referring to the fire that hit Zamora Extension, Barangay Concepcion, City Proper over the weekend – one of four fire incidences in the city within 24 hours between Oct. 19 and Oct. 20.
BFP would like to prosecute those with illegal electricity connections. However, according to Regencia, they could not get witnesses.
Neighbors were covering up for them, he lamented.
Regencia made a broad appeal to city residents – avoid illegal electricity connections and secure power connections the legal way.
Republic Act No. 7832 is the law penalizing the pilferage of electricity.
Under Section 2 (illegal use of electricity), it is unlawful for any person, whether natural or juridical, public or private, to:
(a) tap, make or cause to be made any connection with overhead lines, service drops, or other electric service wires, without previous authority or consent of the private electric utility or rural electric cooperative concerned
(b) tap, make or cause to be made any connection to the existing electric service facilities of any duly registered consumer without the latter’s or the electric utility’s consent or authority
(c) tamper, install or use a tampered electrical meter, jumper, current reversing transformer, shorting or shunting wire, loop connection or any other device which interferes with the proper or accurate registry or metering of electric current or otherwise results in its diversion in a manner whereby electricity is stolen or wasted
As to electric posts catching fire, Regencia said BFP would not be quick to blame Panay Electric Co. (PECO).
The fire could be due to multiple illegal connections, wayward vegetation, and even the incorrect bundling of cables by telecommunications companies that also use the electric posts, said Regencia.
For its part, PECO pleaded to power consumers to alert its office or the police should they spot jumpers on electric posts, or illegal connections.
All information will be treated confidential, according to PECO administrative manager Marcelo Cacho in a statement.
PECO also reminded telcos using its posts to coordinate with the power distributor when bundling cables.
Aside from the fire that hit Zamora Extension, Barangay Concepcion, City Proper, the three other fires were at Barangay South Fundidor Molo district; near the Land Transportation Office in Barangay Tabuc Suba, Jaro district; and at Barangay Sto. Domingo, City proper./PN
