Manila: Power was restored three hours after armed men bombed two electric transmission towers in southern Philippines, authorities said.
Power outages in central Mindanao that plunged Cotabato City, Maguindanao, and North Cotabato provinces into darkness ended at two on Saturday morning because the Cotabato Light and Power Company managed to source electricity from a sub-station in Tacurong immediately after the simultaneous bombing of steel transmission towers of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines in Pikit, North Cotabato at 11pm on Friday night, police chief inspector Sindato Karim said in a report to the police headquarters in Metro Manila’s suburban Quezon City on Saturday.
“The bombers wanted to sabotage power supply and create chaos in places that were directly affected by the bombing incidents,” said Karim, adding the identities and group affiliation of the bombers are still unknown.
A set of intact improvised explosive device (IED) was found near the two toppled towers (identified as towers 44 and 45) in Batulawan and Dalendaoen villages, respectively, said Karim, adding the explosion could have been stronger had the intact IEDs exploded.
Blasting cap, electrical wires, metal fragments of 60mm mortar, and a multi-tester were also found at the blast site, Karim said.
The police deployed additional security forces to protect other transmission towers of the NGCP in the south, he added.
An NGCP steel tower was bombed in Batulawan village, Pikit, North Cotabato, (central Mindanao) which resulted in widespread power outages last January 12.
The New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the 45-year old Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), is known for bombing activities that target power lines in the provinces, including erring local government officials.
Transmission lines are bombed after managers refuse to give in to alleged leftist extortion activities, authorities said.
The communist National Democratic Front (NDF), the political arm of the CPP-NPA, has been engaged in on and off peace talks with the Philippine government since 1992.
