The Philippine National Police (PNP) has launched an investigation into the suspected sabotage of a major power transmission line in Batangas that contributed to supply disruptions in Luzon and Visayas.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said specialized investigation and intelligence units have been mobilized after the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) reported that a conductor of the Ilijan-Tayabas 500-kilovolt transmission line had been severed.
“We have already mobilized specialized investigation and intelligence units to find out what really happened based on the request of the NGCP,” Nartatez said.
“My instruction is to finish the investigation in the soonest possible time and conduct operations against those responsible if indeed there was an act of sabotage involved,” he added.
In a letter to the PNP chief and Batangas City police chief Lt. Col. Lira Morello, the NGCP said the Ilijan-Tayabas line tripped at around 6:30 am on May 13 after the conductor between Towers 129 and 130 in Barangay Haligue Silangan, Batangas City was found severed.
The grid operator said the incident worsened already thin generation reserves in Luzon and Visayas, resulting in consecutive red and yellow alerts in both power grids.
Police said criminal investigators and forensic teams have been sent to the site to collect physical evidence and determine whether the damage was deliberate.
Nartatez said police personnel are also coordinating with local officials as part of the investigation.
Security measures are being tightened around other critical infrastructure nationwide to prevent similar incidents and ensure the continued delivery of essential services.
“Our personnel are also coordinating with local government units as part of the investigation. Makakaasa ang ating mga kababayan na kaisa ang inyong kapulisan sa pagbibigay ng maayos na serbisyo para sa lahat,” Nartatez said.