6-hour blackout hits Cotabato

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 4): 6-hour blackout hits Cotabato

This city and parts of Maguindanao and North Cotabato provinces experienced a six-hour power blackout after saboteurs bombed the tower of the National Grid and Power Corporation (NGCP) in Barangay Manarapan, Carmen, North Cotabato shortly before Tuesday midnight.

The blackout started at around 11:15 p.m. Tuesday as the NGCP emergency crew scrambled to repair and to restore power to the affected areas at around 6:15 a.m. Wednesday.

"A bomb toppled 138 KV steel tower No. 106 in Barangay Manarapan that caused the permanent fault," the NGCP said in a statement.

NGCP linemen tapped on its link along Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat province to temporarily restore power in the affected areas.

Chief Inspector Julius Malcontento, Carmen town police chief, said a loud explosion was heard shortly before midnight Tuesday across the poblacion and later discovered the toppled NGCP steel pylon in Manarapan.

“We are still trying to determine the type of bomb used in the toppling of NGCP Tower 106 in the area. Investigation is still going on,” he said.

Meanwhile, power consumers in the city and nearby areas took to social media in expressing their disappointment over the long power outage.

Power cooperatives affected were those of the Cotabato Light and Power Company in this city; the Maguindanao Electric Company; and Cotabato Electric Company in North Cotabato.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1011680