Meralco began its anti-urban blight operations on Monday by removing unauthorized and illegal "spaghetti wires" from utility poles along E. Ragas St in Pateros.
Meralco's Foreign Attachment Management Head, Sammuelson Montoya, stated that this initiative was carried out in coordination with the local government of Pateros and telecommunications companies. The operation focused on removing wires from telecommunications companies that were either unused or attached to Meralco posts without authorization.
Montoya explained the dangers of these unauthorized wires, noting, "If there are too many unauthorized or illegal wires, it breaches the structural capacity of our posts, leading to instances where posts topple and cause harm to the public."
Pateros Mayor Miguel Ponce III highlighted the urgency of this operation, revealing that there had been four fire incidents in Pateros in the past six months related to these wires. "Recently, we had a fire because of the cables. I previously thought they were incapable of catching fire, but it turns out they can. So this is a problem," Ponce told GMA Integrated News.
Despite the necessity of the operation, several residents expressed their frustration over the lack of prior notification. Lance Gutierrez, a resident and work-from-home call center supervisor, lost his internet connection during the clearing operation.
Montoya responded to these complaints, saying, "We apologize but we had almost a month of coordination with the telecommunications companies. The Pateros LGU itself had a meeting with the telcos, so their customers should have been advised."
He added, "We advised them for almost a month. Our first request was for them to remove the wires themselves. If they didn't act, we would remove them."
To address the broader issue, Mayor Ponce is recommending that the Metro Manila Council issue a resolution for a uniform system against these "spaghetti wires." Additionally, a bill targeting these unsightly and potentially dangerous wires is pending in the House of Representatives.
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