Army deploys men to secure NGCP towers in North Cotabato following bombing

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 19): Army deploys men to secure NGCP towers in North Cotabato following bombing

The Army’s 6th Infantry Division has deployed troops and militiamen in the interior villages of Pikit, North Cotabato following the bombing of another steel transmission tower Sunday night.

Capt. Joanne Petinglay, speaking for the 6th ID, said improvised bomb with mobile phone as trigger mechanism toppled National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) Tower No. 42 in Sitio Ponol, Barangay Batulawan, Pikit at about 8:10 p.m.

Supt. Jordaine Maribojo, Task Force Pikit commander, said post blast investigation showed that two IEDs made of 81 mm mortars were planted and set off at the foot of the NGCP pylon, causing it to tilt and plunging into darkness Maguindanao, part of North Cotabato and Cotabato City.

Maribojo said soldiers and police officers, backed by militiamen, were deployed in other NGCP power lines to prevent similar attacks in the future.

Petinglay said soldiers from the 7th Infantry Battalion were ordered to ensure no similar bombing incident in the future.

”It could be the work of lawless elements living nearby,” Maribojo said, adding that the tower was located in an isolated area where lawless men move freely.

He expressed sadness the bombing created discomfort among many people in two provinces and Cotabato City who have nothing to do or have done anything against whatever the ideology the suspects have been fighting for.

NGCP Tower 42 was still on fire when 7th IB troopers and police reached the area about 20 minutes after the blast.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

On January 13, suspected members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) set off three adjoining IEDs at the foot of NGCP Tower 26, toppling it and plunging the same areas in a three hour power outage.

In a statement, the NGCP said the toppled tower in Barangay Batulawan is yet to be repaired.

The blast cut off power transmission from Maramag power station to North Cotabato and Maguindanao, including Cotabato City.

Power was restored Sunday night at past 11 p.m. with the power supply coming from NGCP’s Tacurong substation.

NGCP personnel escorted by soldiers and policemen are not conducting rehabilitation of the fallen pylon tower. NGCP also appealed to residents near the transmission towers to help the power firm secure its facilities from lawless elements saying ‘everybody is affected when power is cut.”

No one has claimed responsibility in Sunday night’s bombing.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=726537