2 power thieves caught in Malabon

Police arrested two men caught trying to set up an illegal connection with a Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) power line in Malabon City Saturday afternoon.

Gary Bati, 35, and Romulo Gaspan, 37, both jobless, and residents of Barangay Longos in Malabon City, also yielded some 10 meters of electrical wire, a pair of pliers, a roll of electrical tape, and a seven-foot wooden ladder the suspects used to climb the electric post.

Meralco inspectors Christopher Diaz and Orlando Patricio went to the Northern Police District (NPD) earlier in the day to request police assistance in an operation against illegal power connections in Malabon.

Senior Superintendent Rafael Santiago Jr., NPD intelligence and investigation division chief, tasked Police Officer 3 Polly Panganiban and Police Officer 1 Robert Santillan to back up the Meralco personnel in their inspection.

At around 2:30 p.m., the inspecting team chanced upon the suspects trying to illegally connect an electrical wire to the secondary power line of the Meralco post on Hasa-Hasa Street in Barangay Longos.

Police Officer 2 Arnel de Guzman, of the NPD intelligence and investigation division, said charges of violating the anti-electricity pilferage law will be filed against the suspects.

Meralco personnel often conduct operations against illegal power connections in the cities of Malabon, Caloocan and Navotas but this illegal activity persists in depressed areas. – Pete Laude