GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Suspected communist rebels toppled two towers of the National Transmission Corp. (TransCo) in nearby Alabel, Sarangani, causing power outages in this city and elsewhere in the region.
Belinda Sales-Canlas, TransCo corporate affairs officer in southwestern Mindanao District-6, said the blasting of the two towers would affect power supply, as their repair would take several days.
“While restoration is ongoing, low voltage may be felt by consumers in General Santos City during peak hours because the emergency restoration system (ERS) to energize the circuit will take four to five days,” Canlas told The STAR.
Canlas said TransCo will temporarily install two ERS sets to energize one circuit of the affected Klinan-SPPC 138-kilovolt transmission line.
She said this will allow the Southern Philippines Power Corp., an independent power producer owned by the Alcantara family, to reconnect and distribute electricity to the Mindanao grid of the National Power Corp.
The Alcantaras had reportedly received threats from the insurgents because of their involvement in mining in Tampakan, South Cotabato.
Canlas said the damage to the two towers was placed at P5 million.
She said police were still investigating the attack.