Duljo barangay chief urges residents to report illegal ‘tappers’ of electricity

Authorities are checking reports that an illegal electrical connection is the cause of the January 5, 2019 Duljo Fatima fire that left 18 families homeless. Photo by Benjie Talisic

CEBU CITY, Philippines –– After two successive fire incidents at the first week of the month left hundreds of his constituents homeless, the village chief of Duljo Fatima in Cebu City appealed to residents to report anyone who illegally tapped electricity in the barangay.

Duljo Fatima Barangay Captain Elmer Abella said illegal tapping of electricity, which is a common cause of fire, had been a rampant practice among the residents of the barangay.

“Among gi-awhag nga ang kining nag-illegal tapping nga ilang i-report diri namo kay aron mabadlong nato kay mao gyod na ang maka-cause og sunog. Mao gyod na ang usa ka rason,” Abella told CDN-Digital Sunday noon.

(We appeal to our constituents to report those residents with illegal electrical connections so that we can tell those people to stop this practice because this is one of the causes of fire.)

The village chief said they used to go to the houses that were reported to them of having illegal electrical connections and warned the occupants of these houses about the consequences  of continuing this practice. 

“Naa mi nahibaw-an sa una nga mga nag-tapping, among adtuon unya among badlongon. Maayo unta karon nga kung naa sila mahibaw-an ilaha pod nga i-report aron maadto pod nato,” Abella said.

(Before we had warned those reported to us who illegally tapped electricity. We hope that our  constituents would also continue to report to us those residents, who still continue this illegal and dangerous practice.)

Although the Christmas Day fire was allegedly started by a motorcycle that was set on fire by its owner, Abella said the fire that razed 18  houses on January 5 was likely caused by an illegal electrical  connection.

“Akong nahibaw-an, illegal tapping kuno. Di pa ni sure kay magpaabot ta sa investigation sa kabomberohan, pero ang nakuha nato nag impormasyon sa mga nagpuyo nga naa gyod didto mao na,” he added.

(As far as I know, there are reports that this have been caused by an illegally tapped electrical connection. We still have to verify these reports because we are still waiting for the investigation from the fire department, but initial reports point to that as the cause of the January 5 fire.)

In a separate phone interview, Cebu City Fire Marshal Chief Inspector Noel Ababon said they were still conducting an investigation to confirm if illegal connections of electricity really caused the fire.

The 32 families that were rendered homeless by yesterday’s fire are currently staying at a vacant lot across the fire scene along C. Padilla Street while the almost 600 families who lost their houses to the Christmas Day fire are staying at the village’s covered court and the nearby San Nicolas Elementary School.