Tower Number 142 stood in Sitio Malabuaya in Barangay Kayaga and transmitted electric power from North Cotabato to other parts of Southwestern Mindanao and Bukidnon in Northern Mindanao.
Four bombs were planted on the tower’s posts but one failed to explode, according to Chief Insp. Franklin Anito, chief of Kabacan police.
The explosives, fashioned from 81-mm mortars, were considered ‘very powerful’ by the explosives and ordnance disposal team.
Elmo Batislaong, chief of operations of the NGC for Southwest Mindanao, estimated the damage at about P1 million.
The repairs will cost some half a million pesos, he said.
The explosions caused power blackouts in most parts of the region, including the areas serviced by the Cotabato Electric Cooperative in North Cotabato, according to Felix Canja, the power firm’s assistant general manager.
Batislaong said repair works started immediately.
“Our men arrived at the site as early as 2 a.m., today. The explosions caused much damage to the tower so the repairs might take days,” he said.
The attack on NGC came a day after some suspected members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fired on the power plant of the National Power Corporation in Kalamansig town in Sultan Kudarat.
The attack did not create any damage on the plant.
But a security guard was injured in his right leg.
Soldiers belonging to the Bravo Company of the 64th Infantry Battalion immediately arrived at the area and returned fire forcing the attackers to withdraw. (Malu Cadelina Manar/MindaNews)
