Jagmoc wants pilferage of wires, lamps stopped

The chairman of the City Council committee on public services has filed a resolution requesting barangay captains and police to solve the problem on the rampant pilferage of the city government-owned electrical wires and sodium lamps.

Councilor Edwin Jagmoc's resolution, approved by the council last week, came after the City Hall's street lighting division reported that since March, the accessories of a number of center islands and skywalks have been stolen in some parts of Fuente Osmeña, Mabolo, Pahina Central, Mambaling and Labangon.

Felicito Josol, head of the street lighting division, did not however specify the total amount of stolen accessories, only furnishing Jagmoc with a data on the pilferage cases in affected barangays.

Electrical wires and sodium lamps on the center island of Juan Luna Avenue and at the skywalks along N. Bacalso and near the Abellana High School along Fuente Osmeña Boulevard have been reportedly pilfered.

The lost items include electrical wires measuring 160, 100 and 60 meters, and four 150-watt high-pressure sodium lamps.

Josol said that last March 28, his nightshift monitoring team found out that the secondary line of a steel post on the center island of Fuente Osmeña Boulevard had been stolen.

The following day, he said that they installed new wires on the center island but on April 4, the team again discovered that the new ones were also stolen.

According to Josol, the secondary lines for sodium lamps on the center islands of N. Bacalso Avenue were also found pilfered on April 7.

"Our office was very affected of the problem since, the Veco (Visayan Electric Company) had a long process to restore those pilfered wires," Josol said.

Expressing alarm, Jagmoc said, "the report of Engr. Josol shows dramatic increase in the theft and robbery of electrical wires owned by the city for street lighting purposes."

Jagmoc said the barangay captains and police should be aware of the incidents.

"These pilferages should stop," the councilor said as he called for close monitoring on all center islands and skywalks during late night hours by police and barangay tanods. - Garry B. Lao