Meralco contractor faces raps for stealing meters

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is set to file within the week charges of pilferage against an electrical contractor for allegedly stealing P5 million worth of electric meters and other electrical hardware from the Manila Electric Company (Meralco).

Supervising Agent Dominador Villanueva III, NBI Interpol Division executive officer, said authorities found that the accused, Johnny Mendoza, was storing the meters in his house in Villa Luisa Subdivision, North II, Caloocan City.

"The suspect Mendoza is allegedly a contractor and an electrical engineer. He was previously the vice president of the homeowners’ association of Villa Luisa Subdivision," Villanueva said. He was not around during the raid.

Special Investigator James Calleja, the case officer, said Meralco representatives have discovered that three of the recovered meters were listed as stolen from their company.

Administrative charges against the suspect will be lodged once the NBI confirms that Mendoza is a licensed engineer. The Professional Regulation Commission could revoke his license if he is found guilty.

Authorities found boxes of electric meters and other electrical hardware in Mendoza’s house in the raid.

NBI officials said Mendoza operated like a junk shop and that it appeared that he has been stealing Meralco meters for the past five years and selling them to cooperatives and business establishments and Metro Manila and in the provinces.

If the buyer was based in Metro Manila, Mendoza would allegedly sell the Meralco meter and tamper with the serial number to avoid detection. But if the buyer was in the province outside Meralco’s service area, Mendoza would allegedly remove the Meralco label.

"His clients would reportedly install these lower calibrated meters so when their meter are read by the Meralco, they would only be given a smaller billing and this would contribute to the loses of Meralco," Calleja said.