A man was arrested after he was allegedly caught cutting and stealing cables from an MMDA surveillance camera system on the Muñoz Footbridge along EDSA southbound in Quezon City.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said the suspect was apprehended at around 11:05 p.m. on May 31 in Barangay Veterans Village during a routine motorcycle patrol by Metro Aides Jericson Durana and Marion Lazaro.
The two MMDA personnel reportedly saw the man actively removing LAN cables and other components from the agency’s closed-circuit television system installed on the footbridge.
The suspect was immediately turned over to the police for further investigation and the filing of a theft complaint.
Recovered from him were about 15 meters of LAN cable worth around P5,000 and two pairs of pliers allegedly used to cut and remove the cables, the MMDA said.
MMDA Chairman Don Artes condemned the incident, warning that the agency would not tolerate theft and vandalism involving government property.
“The MMDA will not allow this kind of activity to go unpunished,” Artes said.
He said the agency is coordinating with law enforcement authorities to ensure that those responsible for damaging or stealing public equipment are held accountable.
The MMDA urged the public to report suspicious activities near government facilities and infrastructure through the MMDA 136 Hotline or local authorities.
The agency said protecting public assets such as CCTV systems is vital to keeping traffic monitoring and public safety operations running across Metro Manila.