EDITORIAL — Enablers of theft

If you’re wondering why your internet and landline services are malfunctioning and cannot be remedied by normal troubleshooting, one reason could be the theft of the cable lines.

Last Saturday in Las Piñas, 17 men were arrested as they were loading cable wires into a van in Barangay Talon Uno. They had been spotted at around 3 a.m. by roving security personnel of PLDT Inc., who suspected that the wires were part of underground cables of the telecommunications company along Alabang-Zapote Road.

The security personnel, who tipped off authorities, later confirmed that the wires came from PLDT’s underground network. The suspects, who used bolt cutters and a steel hook, claimed they were promised P1,200 each to pilfer the wires. They managed to cut copper wires valued at nearly P560,000 before they were apprehended.

Authorities said the suspects would face criminal charges for theft and violation of Republic Act 10515, the Anti-Cable Television and Cable Internet Tapping Act of 2013.

Whoever put them up to it, however, must also be pursued, arrested and made to face the full force of the law.

Fences are among the biggest reasons for the commission of crimes against property. People have been killed for their cellphones and laptops by muggers who sell the devices to fences. Side mirrors, windshield wipers and other vehicle spare parts have been stolen for sale to fences that proliferate in several centers in Metro Manila.

Last week an online trader in Valenzuela was offering to buy scrap copper at prices ranging from P340 to P530 per kilo depending on the quality, with the post featuring photos of copper wires. In the market most recently, copper was trading at around P840 to P1,280 a kilo.

The Anti-Fencing Law, Presidential Decree 1612, was passed way back in 1979. The decree imposes imprisonment of up to 20 years depending on the value of the item fenced and the circumstances. Fencing charges can be tied together with theft and robbery under the Revised Penal Code as well as the newer law against money laundering.

Pilferage of copper wires has plagued telecommunications companies for a long time. The pilferage inconveniences not only the telcos but also their customers. Authorities must pursue not only the wire pilferers but also their enablers, the fences.