Only 2 persons convicted of power pilferage
Know the reason why a lot of city residents still engage in power pilferage despite the massive operation of the Task Force Boltahe?
The city government normally prefers to settle the case with the violators of the Anti-Electricity Pilferage Law.
This was disclosed by Task Force Boltahe officer Joel Cadiz who said only two persons have been convicted of power pilferage since they started operation several years back.
Cadiz said they normally forward the list of violators to the office of Mayor Jerry Treñas and to the City Legal Office (CLO) for recommendations. The CLO decides on whatever action to be taken against the violators.
Cadiz identified the persons convicted of power pilferage as Richard Acosta of De la Rama, City Proper and Rayland Castro of Simon Ledesma, Jaro.
Cadiz observed that instead of filing cases in court the city merely impose fines on the violators.
Task Force Boltahe determines the electricity load consumed by each offender. The computation is based on the number of lights and appliances in the violator's residence. Most of the violators tap electricity from the city's streetlights.
Cadiz added that once the computation is done, the offender will have to pay their fines to the City Treasurer's Office.
Though there are negotiations happening between the city government and the offenders, the task force still conduct operations in the city's 180 barangays.
However, the task force finds it hard to arrest and catch the violators in flagrante delicto (in the act) because they (violators) immediately detach the electrical wires attached in the city's street lights to their houses.
The city is paying more or less P6 million a month for the streetlights, public schools and city government offices. The city also has an outstanding payables of P15 million for electricity.
The Task Force is asking the city residents to relay whatever information that could lead to the arrest of the power thieves. The people should also help in the campaign against power pilferage, said Cadiz.