Lapu’s Team Deretso throws illegal tapping of electricity rap at opposition’s Team Libre

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza, who is running for a Congress seat under Team Deretso, lead the May 9 press briefing where they reveal plans of filing a case against opposition candidate for mayor, Pajo Barangay Captain Junard “Ahong” Chan. | Futch Anthony Inso

LAPU-LAPU City, Philippines —Did Team Libre led by Lapu-Lapu City’s mayoral candidate Pajo Barangay Captain Junard Ahong Chan’s camp illegally tapped electricity for Chan’s billboard from the the billboard of the rival candidate former mayor Arturo “Boy” Radaza led Team Deretso?

Team Deretso believes Team Libre did that and Radaza and his team were preparing to file a complaints against Chan for this alleged illegal act.

Lawyer Zandro Ronnie Oriol, legal counsel of Team Deretso, said that they had been coordinating with MECO (Mactan Electric Co.), in readying the filing of againt Chan.

He said that he was still waiting for the affidavit coming from MECO as well as the result of the investigation that they had conducted.

Oriol said that they would be filing a case of violation of Republic Act No. 7832 or the Anti-electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage Act of 1994, and administrative cases of dishonesty, abuse of authority and grave misconduct before the Office of the Ombudsman and regular trial court.

Read more: Chan, Radaza accuse each other of harassment

But Chan has strongly denied the allegation of the Radazas.

“Wa ko kabaw ana kung nangabit bami ug kuryente kay unang bahin, dili man ka makapasuga ug dili ka mobayad ni MECO. Unya kun dunay makapasiga sa imong suga, only MECO,” Chan said.

Chan showed an official receipt from MECO dated April 24, wherein they’ve paid around P54,880 for electrical services of their 17 billboards within the city.

But Team Deretso’s camp said that they discovered the alleged illegal tapping of electricity from Team Deretso’s billboard last April 17, 2019 near City Hall.

Radazas’ group presented a CCTV footage that was captured on April 17, 2019, where personnel of the Mactan Electric Company (MECO) were seen disconnecting the electrical source of the billboard owned by Team Libre of Chan.

George Rago, in-charge of the logistical requirements of Team Deretso, said that that their group had around 21 billboards within the city and they had paid P142,813.33 to MECO for the electrical services which is good for 30 days.

Sometime last month, Rago said that while they were conducting regular lighting and billboards maintenance, they discovered that some of Team Libre’s billboards allegedly sourced their electricity from Team Deretso’s billboards, which they promptly reported to MECO.

“Basin nagdahom ni si Ahong nga Libre ang kuryente, amoa intawn ning gibayran,” Rago said.

(We would lik to inform Ahong that we were paying for the electricity that we were using.)

Rago claimed that they also allegedly discovered other billboards where Team Libre’s billboards were allegedly illegally tapping electricity from Team Deretso’s billboards.

These areas are near the first Mandaue-Mactan bridge and near the Marcelo Fernan bridge.

Meanwhile, Team Deretso’s vice mayor candidate, Harry Radaza, has criticized Chan for allegedly including in their platform of government authorizing flying connections of electricity.

A flying connection is where an individual taps electricity from the house of another neighbor.

“Pung pa sa Bureau of Fire Protection mao ni ang usa sa number one leading cause sa sunog sa atong dakbayan,” Harry said.

But Chan said that if he would become mayor, he would authorize flying connection, but there should be guidance from MECO and the City Engineering’s Office before an individual could tap electricity from their neighbors.

“Actually nangutana ko sa MECO ana kung unsa may paagi ana para maka-kuryente ang pobre. Kay naa may uban nga dili man gyud maka-afford sa pagpa-connect ba. Niingon si MECO nga ibutang lang nimo sa imong plano, before you submit that to MECO, subject for approval sa City Engineer,” he added./dbs