Fluctuations, outages hit Zamboanga anew

ZAMBOANGA CITY: After months of “smooth” operations by the Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (Zamcelco), complaints are mounting again over a series of voltage fluctuations and power outages that hit the electric consumers anew.

Frequent power fluctuation and unannounced outages have been noticed in the past month, especially at night and dawn. Cooperative officials have not released any statement on the causes of the power fluctuations and outages as residents begin to raise their concerns.

The commentary section of the Zamcelco Facebook page was disabled by its administrator after receiving negative comments from the electric consumers.

Posted only on its social media page were the scheduled maintenance and repair works, but not the cause of the frequent power fluctuation and unannounced outages.

Zamboanga City residents experienced the same power problems before but when Crown Investments Holdings Inc. and Desco Inc. took over and bailed out the heavily indebted Zamcelco for P2.5 billion in 2019, the cooperative’s operations returned to normal until recently.

Zamcelco, meanwhile, has been blaming its problems on the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.

Power consumers complained that the frequent voltage fluctuations and brownouts are destroying their appliances.

One resident said she has a collection of at least three air conditioners which broke down due to voltage fluctuations and repairing them was more expensive than buying a new unit.

Last November, a bomb explosion toppled a concrete electric pole and cut off power to a remote village about 82 kilometers from downtown Zamboanga City.

Police said the bomber used ANFO or ammonium nitrate fuel oil, but would not say whether the blast in the village of Tumitus was carried out by the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf or other rebel groups.

Engineer Gannymede Tiu, Zamcelco general manager, said the bombing had damaged the concrete pole.

“The blast toppled one of the concrete poles and there was no report of casualties, although the blast cut off power in the area and repair works are going on as we speak,” he said then.

Tiu believes the bomber may have left the improvised explosive on the base of the electric pole to avoid being caught by patrolling security forces.

“I believe the bomber never intended to target our electric pole, otherwise he should have bombed our substation nearby,” he said.

No individual or group claimed responsibility for the bombing, but previous attacks had been largely blamed on the Abu Sayyaf, a small, but notorious extremist group whose leaders have pledged allegiance with the Islamic State.

Security forces continue to fight the Abu Sayyaf in the neighboring island-province of Basilan, about 34.5 nautical miles south of Zamboanga.