NPAs bomb 2 NGCP towers

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines  – Several towns in Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat and this city have had no electricity since Wednesday night after two towers of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), formerly the National Transmission Corp., were bombed by suspected New People’s Army rebels.

Senior Superintendent Robert Po, city police chief, said the post-blast investigation was still ongoing, adding though that “explosive materials from unexploded bombs were refilled into a water pipe which was planted in (one of) the towers.”

Po said the first explosion, which took place in Barangay Ligaya this city, was triggered through a cellular phone, parts of which were found at the scene.

Belinda Sales-Canlas, corporate communications officer of Southwestern NGCP, said the blast cut off power supply to the towns of Alabel, Malapatan and Glan, all in Sarangani, and Barangay Lagao here.

“The explosion toppled the tower and resulted in the tripping of the Klinan-SPPC and Klinan-Sari-Glan’s 138 and 69 kilovolt (kV) lines, respectively, and isolated the power plant of the Southern Philippines Power Corp. from the grid,” she said.

Canlas said another tower of the Tacurong-Kabacan-Kibawe 138-kV line in Barangay Kayaga in President Quirino, Sultan Kudarat was also bombed. – With John Unson