CCPO, Veco workers bond in friendly basketball game
TO FURTHER promote camaraderie, members of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) and the Visayan Electric Company (Veco) employees competed in a friendly basketball game recently.
“They are a big help to us, not only in the community but also in our operations,” said Glenn Torrejos, Veco Revenue Protection Department supervisor.
Veco employees and CCPO officers have been partners in going after people involved in electricity theft.
Electricity is pilfered or stolen through illegal wire tapping, flying wire connections, tampered electrical meters, jumper, current reversing transformer, shorting or shunting wires.
Police and Veco have launched an intensified campaign against people involved in power pilferage, especially that a number of fires and electrocutions were attributed to such illegal activities.
“We want to establish a deeper connection with the police department knowing that they have been a great help in dealing with violators of Re- public Act 7832, or the AntiPilferage Act,” said Engr. Noel Modesto, Veco AVP for Technical Services Group.
Veco apprehends an average of 200 people every week. A total of 17,425 people were apprehended due to pilferage since 2010.
In 2015 alone, the number reached 2,573.
Aside from their relationship in catching electricity thieves, Veco has long been donating to CCPO to help them in their day-to-day jobs. The company donated computer sets, lighted signage and, recently, fast XR200 motorbikes.
“We are definitely helping each other as far as fulfilling our duty toward the public, toward the customers” said Modesto.
Eight police officers competed with 18 Veco employees during the game. It resulted to a final score of 106 to 88 in favor of Veco.
“A lot of our work involve paper works so we also need this for exercise. This is our first time to play with Veco. We are very happy that we got invited so we can also have fun as part of our police community operations,” P03 Roque Carmelotes Jr. of the Cebu City Operations Branch said in Cebuano.
“For a friendship game, this seems to improve our part- nership. This is the first and definitely this is not the last,” Modesto said.