Suspect faces three cases for RA 7832 violations 

Police elements arrested late in the evening of July 23, 2008 an electric consumer suspected of meter-tampering after a stake-out by a Davao Light team accompanied by police caught him red-handed trying to remove physical evidence of meter-tampering after refusing to allow the utility to conduct an inspection of the meter in his premises early in the afternoon that same day.  At the conclusion of the inquest investigation on July 25, the Office of the City Prosecutor approved the filing of charges against the suspect for violations of R.A. No. 7832, otherwise known as “Anti-Electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage Act of 1994”. 

Based on sworn statements submitted to the Office of the City Prosecutor, a police team from the Talomo police station led by PO2 Gerrard Guillas arrested late evening of July 23, 2008 one Manuel Firmeza at his residence at San Lorenzo Village, Puan in Talomo district after an inspection was conducted of his meter that confirmed the use of switching connections attached to the insides of the meter to control the registration of electricity consumed.  At the time of the apprehension, the meter seals including the one placed by the suspect’s own housemaid that afternoon upon the request of the Davao Light team was found missing and the meter was not registering consumption even if the lightings, air-conditioning and other appliances of the suspect were running.  Unusual wiring connections attached to the inside of the meter used for controlling the registration of the meter was found upon inspection of the premises and upon opening of the electric meter  PO2 Romil Saquilon of the CMG-PNP confirmed the findings of the Davao Light inspection team in a sworn statement. 

The Davao Light team early that afternoon tried to conduct an inspection of the meter but failed to do so after they were refused entry by the house-helper reportedly upon orders of her employer, CPO documents show.  The seal newly placed that afternoon by the maid at the team’s instance, was itself found missing that evening prior to the inspection and arrest of the suspect. After investigation by the City Prosecutor’s Office, Prosecutor Trinidad de la Torre- Cardona on July 25 recommended the filing of violations of sections 2 (c), (d) and (e) of RA No. 7832, approved by Acting City Prosecutor, Serafica Justiniani-Weis. Section 2 (c) of RA 7832 declares unlawful for any person to “tamper, install, or use a tampered electrical meter, jumper, current reversing transformer, shorting or shunting wire, loop connection or any other device which interferes with the proper or accurate registry or metering of electric current or otherwise results in its diversion in a manner whereby electricity is stolen or wasted.  Section 2 (d) declares unlawful for persons to “damage or destroy an electric meter, equipment, wire or conduit or allow any of them to be so damaged or destroyed as to interfere with the proper or accurate metering of electric current”.  Section 2 (e) of the law declares it unlawful for persons to “knowingly use or receive the direct benefit of electric service obtained through any of the acts mentioned in subsections (a), (b), (c), and (d)” of the statute.   

Each violation of RA No. 7832 carries with it the penalty of 6 years and 1 day to 12 years disqualifying an offender from availing of the benefits of the Probation Law.  Under the latter statute, offenses punishable by 6 years or less if an accused feels sorry for committing an offense and refrains from appealing his conviction allows him the benefit of probation, suspending service of sentence, the benefit of confidentiality of the conviction, and discharging him entirely if he fulfills the conditions of his probation in the discretion of the courts. 

Davao Light & Power Company through its Executive Vice President Manuel M. Orig, expressed concern over the resurgence of electricity pilferage in its franchise area.  “The company is taking the matter of electricity pilferage with serious and unrelenting concern,” Orig said.  “We do not want our good-paying customers to complain to us like in other utilities with higher systems losses that we are not doing anything about this problem.  So far we have been fairly tight in managing our systems losses but we see some signs of resurgence of electricity pilferage and we cannot let our guard down,” he said.  He advised the public not to be tempted by persons promising for a fee savings from meter tampering which is illegal and immoral as such activities will be discovered in the end and the customer will have to face the consequences of their own acts.