Five persons disguised as linemen conducting maintenance work were apprehended for stealing about P750,000 worth of underground Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) copper cable lines at the Handumanan Access Road in Brgy Masilingan, Bacolod City, 4:16 a.m. on Saturday, February 17, the police reported.
Robbery charges will be filed against the five, while the identity of one of three of their companions who were able to escape has been established, PCapt. Andy Ofalia, Police Station 7 chief, said on Sunday.
Bacolod Police Station 7 personnel were conducting a mobile patrol when they spotted a group of individuals manning the road, Ofalia said.
The suspects were wearing reflective clothing and using traffic cones to disguise themselves as linemen. They also had a Fiber Infrastructure and Network Services Inc. (FINSI) access pass and working permit.
They used an Isuzu Dump truck with Plate Number FHY573 to extract the copper cable line from an underground manhole, Ofalia said.
They cut the thick cable wire at one manhole and pulled it out from another manhole using the truck, Ofalia said.
The truck is reportedly owned by a barangay official.
Some of those apprehended had knowledge on how the cable line was laid out, he said.
Apprehended were the truck driver Freddie Baylosis Jagocoy, 49, and John Lloyd Madona Jagocoy, 18, of Tabunan, Bago City, in Negros Occidental; Rowel Laviña Baylon, 33, and Brendo Irenia Francisco, 33, of Tandang Sora, Quezon City; and Bryan Rama Riano, 37, of Alibabon, Romblon, the police said.
The suspects checked into Jade Court in Brgy Taculing, Bacolod City, for nearly five days prior to the incident, the police said.
The complainant was Rex Miango Hinolan, 41, a PLDT Smart roving guard.*