Police station’s electricity: Vendors face probe for “illegal tapping”

CEBU, Philippines - The Visayan Electric Company has started investigating five vendors at the public market in Barangay Pardo, Cebu City who have allegedly tapped the electricity of the nearby police station that caused the station's high electric bill.

In a press conference yesterday, City Councilor David Tumulak said he accompanied VECO representatives last Wednesday to trace the electric connection of the police station in order to determine why their bill reaches P28,000 to P34,000 per month from January to June this year.

"Nasuta sa Veco nga duna gyoy nahitabo nga pagpangawat sa kuryente. Ug ingon man sa atong police station sa Pardo. Giim-bestigar sa public administrator sa Pardo public market kay dunay nakita didto nga lima ka prospected nga ni-illegal tap sa atong police station," he said.

Tumulak, deputy mayor for police matters, said the public market is just behind the police station.

He said VECO is doing its own investigation to reveal who are illegally tapping the electricity of the police station.

"So, ang Veco nagpahigayon sila og kaugalingong investigation. Ilang tan-awon ang previous bills sa kining suspected nga nangawat sa kuryente. Gi-usab sad nila ang linya aron dili makab-ot sa likod kay likod mismo sa police station, makab-ot raman," he said.

Tumulak said the policemen at the station did not know about the huge electric bill since it is directly forwarded to the City Hall's General Services Office.

With this, Tumulak is also asking other police stations in the city to check their electric and water connections.

"So, tanang police stations ato nang gihangyo ang police station chiefs pag-check sa linya sa ilang kuryente kun dunay nag-illegally tapped. Kay insulto pud na sa mga kapolisan nga sila nuon ang gikawatan og kuryente," he said.

Tumulak said VECO is willing to press charges against those were illegally tapping electricity.

Further, he said he will recommend to Mayor Tomas Osmeña not to allow vendors who will be caught illegally tapping to sell at the market anymore.

"Liman ka, pila ka tuig na diay ni nilang gipahimuslan nga pagpangawat og kuryente unya karon ra namatikdan," Tumulak said.

Tumulak found out about the huge electric bill of Pardo Police Station after he requested GSO to give him the list of resour-ces that the city is giving to Philippine National Police.

He noticed on the list the high electricity bill of Pardo Police Station, as well as the high water bill of Guadalupe Police Station amounting to P17,000 to P22,000 every month since January to June.

As of yesterday, he said officials of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District have also conducted a leak test in the connection of the Guadalupe Police Station. (FREEMAN)