13th TransCo tower bombed

www.mindanews.com

ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews/01 Feb) - Tower 44 of the National
Transmission Corp. (TransCo) in Lanao del Norte
was bombed Wednesday, the 13th power
pylon bombed since December, an official of
TransCo said.

Three of the tower's legs were damaged, said
Engineer Bob Dawis, department manager of TransCo Inc.,
describing the damaged down to the pylon in
Barangay Pagayawan, municipality of Bacolod, when a
bomb exploded at the base at around 9 pm.

Dawis warned that power supply in Mindanao
could be affected if the bombings continued.

He said the wave of bombings followed an earlier
one that happened between March and June 2007,
with eight towers bombed.

"The second wave started in December 28, 2007 onwards
this January. We have a total of 13 towers bombed, one
of which remains toppled because of its difficult
position in the hinterland part of Bubong,
Lanao del Sur," he said.

Dawis said the bombed power pylons were Tower 83 in
Kolambugan, Lanao Del Norte; Tower 22 in
Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte; Tower 26 in Agus 2-Kibawe
line; Tower 4 in Abaga; Tower 39 in Kauswagan;
Tower 19 in Sugod, Marawi City; Tower 15 in
Abuno, Iligan City; Tower 8 and Tower 9 in Abaga and
Tagoloan; Tower 50 in Bubong, Lanao del Sur;
Tower 59 in Buadiposo  Buntong, Lanao del Sur;
Tower 13 in Kiamba, Marawi City; and Tower 44 in
Pagayawan of Bacolod, Lanao del Norte.

Dawis said there has been close coordination with
AFP to secure these vital installations. He declined
to disclose the persons or groups that authorities
have suspected as behind the bombings.

"They are conducting random patrolling but because
it's random patrolling…it makes these remote state
properties still vulnerable to attacks," he said.

Brig. General Roney Javier said the 103rd Brigade
is augmenting its forces from the 1st Infantry Division,
"so we can shorten our reaction time."

The bombing heightened after Task Force Kilat was
disbanded on December 16, 2007. "The forces from the
4th ID pulled out from Lanao provinces for a change
of area of responsibilities," he said.

Javier said "this is also part of the realignment of
units in Western Mindanao Command the activation of
Task Force Tabak."

Together, these forces are tasked to secure the
vital installations, he said. (Violeta M. Gloria /
MindaNews)