Task Force Boltahe chief defends office
The chief of the city's Task Force Boltahe said only Mayor Jerry Treñas can dissolve their office. Engr. Salvador Pedregosa, chief of Task Force Boltahe, made this assertion after City Councilor Eldrid Antiquiera criticized their performance. Antiquiera reportedly wanted the task force abolished.
Task Force Boltahe was created in 2001 through an executive order. Another executive order was handed down in 2004 to affirm the creation of the task force.
Antiquiera lamented that the task force has not filed any case for violation of anti-pilferage law against the violators.
Antiquiera's call to dissolve Task Force Boltahe came in as the task force is intensifying their operation against people who have illegal electrical connections from either the streetlights, gymnasiums, barangay halls, day care centers and public elementary schools. With the ongoing operation, the city is projected to save some P1.3 million in electricity bills.
However, Pedregosa said they could not do anything should the mayor decide to abolish the task force. He said they will accept whatever decision that the chief executive will make in response to the call to dissolve it. As to date, there is no official communication from the office of the mayor calling for the dissolution of the task force.
The task force chief also defended themselves from the views made by Antiquiera over the non-filing of cases against the violators. Pedregosa said they could not file any case against the violator unless the City Legal Office (CLO) made its recommendation.
Pedregosa said it was stipulated in the executive order signed by the chief executive that the CLO should first evaluate and examine whether there is a prima facie evidence against the violators. The task force have to wait for the final recommendation.
Sadly, the CLO has yet to give any single recommendation to the task force. For the past nine months, the task force had launched series of operations launched in the city's different barangays against the power thieves. There were several barangay officials and former barangay officials who were caught having illegal electrical connections.
The task force chief believes that legal minds especially Atty. Edgar Gil, chief of the CLO are still evaluating all the task force operation report. The task force is only waiting for the go signal from the legal office to file appropriate case against those persons caught having illegal electrical connections.