By Jim Lloyd Dongiapon
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) confirmed on their press release today, October 25, that their Baloi-Aurora 138-kilovolt Transmission Line tripped at around 4:50 PM yesterday, October 24, requiring the Manual Load Dropping (MLD) of the remaining line to prevent overloading.
This caused power outages throughout the Zamboanga Peninsula, particularly in Zamboanga del Norte (which includes Dipolog City and Dapitan City), Zamboanga del Sur (which includes Pagadian City and Zamboanga City), Zamboanga Sibugay, the entirety of Misamis Occidental, and some areas of Lanao del Norte.
The tripping of the transmission line was caused by the bombing of Tower No. 8 in Sitio Isidro, Barangay Bagumbayan, Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, which resulted in the tower’s collapse.
Responding authorities confirmed that an improvised explosive device (IED) was used by the suspects in toppling down the transmission tower. They also found an unidentified man with fatal injuries at the site. However, it is still unclear if it is related to the bombing.
NCGP said the bombing incident is now being investigated.
Meanwhile, NGCP is coordinating with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and local law enforcers to secure the site as repair works are ongoing.
The company emphasizes that bombings only serve to increase the burden on the public, who must endure power outages when towers are bombed.
It also reiterated that any suspicious activity within or along the power transmission corridor that may disrupt power transmission is punishable by law, with a fine of up to ₱200,000 or 12 years in prison, or both.
NGCP calls on the public to report suspicious activities or right-of-way violations through their hotlines: 0917-TIPNGCP (8476427); 0918-TIPNGCP (8476427); or through their email address, tipngcp@ngcp.ph.