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Philippines tightens security at power plants

Xinhua, January 4, 2016 Adjust font size:

Government forces will be beefing up security patrols to curb incidence of bombing of towers of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) in Central Mindanao, the Armed Forces disclosed on Monday.

The military statement came after the NGCP came out with a paid advertisement calling on the public cooperation to stop the bombing of their towers to ensure the continued delivery of electricity.

"We (military) will be stepping up patrols...It is the inherent duty of units to secure vital facilities," Armed Forces of Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief Col. Noel Detoyato told a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo.

"This will be added to the task of the units, Army units in the area," Detoyato also said, referring to the intensified security patrols, even as he admitted that securing these towers is not an easy job.

In the advertisement, the NGCP disclosed that 16 towers were bombed and toppled last year, causing widespread power outage in Mindanao.

It said bombing and destruction of towers is against the law and punishable under the Human Security Act. It asked the public to report suspicious activities near their towers through their hotline.

"Timely information leads to deterrence (of tower bombings)...We need monitoring by the civilians, concerned citizens to detect suspicious activities near these towers," the military official added.

The military has blamed the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and other extortionist groups as behind the attacks. The BIFF is composed of former leaders and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The latest NGCP tower to be bombed and toppled was in Lanao del Sur last Dec. 24. The NGCP said its Mindanao Power Grid is on "yellow alert" in the wake of the bombing. Endit