Cops nab cable linemen for wire theft

Police have arrested six people, most of them linemen of a cable company, for alleged wire theft in separate incidents in Muntinlupa City.

The suspects were identified as linemen Julius Bono, 31, of Quezon City; Emmanuel Nelmida, 24, of Sampaloc, Manila; Reynaldo Matignas, 24, of Baras, Rizal; Ryan de Guzman, 26, of Basista, Pangasinan; and driver Ryan Manalo, 26, of Rosario, Pasig.

Police seized from the suspects 40 meters of electrical wire worth P5,000. The five were caught at 6 p.m. the other night by security guards Ryan Enciso and Hermogenes Gante, who are assigned at Ayala-Alabang Village.

Muntinlupa police chief Superintendent Jose Mario Espino said the five suspects stole the wires and hide them in their bags.

As they are about to leave the village premises, guards inspected their van and discovered the wires stuffed in their bags.

In another incident, police arrested Jayar Azures, 23, of San Antonio, Laguna.

Officers caught him stealing phone wires belonging to the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. at 3:35 p.m. along East Meadow street, Diamond Park, Victoria Homes, Barangay Tunasan.

All six suspects have been charged with theft.

Espino said several wire theft incidents have been hampering the full restoration of power and communication systems affected by Typhoon Milenyo.

He said some individuals have taken advantage of the situation by stealing wires from damaged posts.

Malacañang earlier said it would look into the possibility of proposing harsher penalties on those caught stealing, selling or buying electric and communication cables, which hamper basic services.