Warrant out vs apartment owner for power pilferage

CEBU, Philippines - A warrant of arrest was issued against an apartment owner in Barangay Suba, Cebu City and one of the apartment’s tenants for allegedly violating Republic Act 7832 or the Anti-Electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage Act of 1994.

Regional Trial Court Branch 16 Judge Sylva Aguirre Paderanga issued the warrant of arrest against Alejo Patalinghug and Josephine Gonzales after they failed to present evidence to counter the charge.

On November 23, 2004, Patalinghug, who owns an apartment along M. dela Concepcion St., Barangay Suba, Cebu City, and seven other tenants including Gonzales were reportedly caught illegally tapping from the VECO secondary line.

According to the complainant, the Visayan Electric Company, Inc., their field inspectors were with SPO2 Arthur Quindal and PO2 Romwin Matulac of the Cebu City Police Department in conducting a random inspection in the vicinity of Patalinghug’s apartment.

It was discovered that a wire partly concealed by the leaves of a tree directly taps from the VECO secondary line and traversed the rooftop of the building Patalinghug owns.

In a statement, VECO said that the subject wire was installed with a knife switch at the end and supplied electricity to the apartment’s tenants.

A voltmeter test on the wire revealed that the line was live and connected to the dwellings of the accused.

The team dismantled and took photographs of the illegal connection, prepared an inspection report and notice of disconnection.

Furthermore, the team listed down the lights, appliances and other electrical equipment inside the dwellings of the accused, necessary for the computation of the differential billing or the actual monetary cost of electricity because of the illegal tapping.

Patalinghug and Gonzales were also required to pay VECO their shares in the differential billing amounting to P127,966.24 and P4,649.55, respectively.(FREEMAN NEWS)