Driver convicted of electricity theft

CEBU, Philippines - Electricity thievery is no laughing matter as it can send one to jail.

 A private vehicle driver who was caught three times committing such a crime was sentenced by the court to suffer the penalty of imprisonment of up to two years.

The court found Roberto Borja, 39 of Alaska, Mambaling, Cebu City guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

He was caught in the act of tapping into Visayan Electric Company (Veco) lines to pilfer electricity in Mambaling last November 11, 2008.

Ruben Calma, a barangay tanod, arrested the accused.

Borja denied the accusations.

He said while he was on his way to buy noodles, he was just requested by a friend, Efren Bacalso, to detach the telephone wire because they were afraid that it would cause fire.

Borja then climbed the rooftop of a house owned by a barangay councilor and was given a pair of pliers. This woke the house owner up, who told the accused to get down.

Borja’s defense was not given credence by the court and found it unconvincing. The court considered the fact that it was the third time that the barangay tanods received an alarm regarding the illegal tapping of power lines involving Borja and his companion, Lester Gadiana.

Calma testified that he arrested Borja after seeing him tapping the main power line of Veco using a telephone wire which he also confiscated.

Regional Trial Court Branch 17 Presiding Judge Silvestre Maamo, Jr. in his five-page decision found the evidence against the accused overwhelming.

Borja was criminally charged of the crime of violation of Republic Act 7832 otherwise known as the Anti-Electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage Act of 1994.    (FREEMAN NEWS)