Meralco begins removal of ‘spaghetti wires’ in Pateros

Meralco on Monday conducted its anti-urban blight operations along E. Ragas St in Pateros today by removing unauthorized and illegal 'spaghetti wires' attached to their posts.

Meralco Foreign Attachment Management Head Sammuelson Montoya said this was in coordination with the local government of Pateros and with telecommunications companies.

Wires from telecommunications companies that are either unused or attached to Meralco posts without authorization were removed.

“Pag sobrang dami po yung mga unauthorized or mga ilegal, nasosobrahan po yung structural, nabi-breach po yung structural capacity ng poste at nagkakaroon po tayo ng instances na natutumba yung poste at nababagsakan yung ating mga kababayan,” Montoya told GMA Integrated News.

(If there are too many unauthorized or illegal wires, it breaches the structural capacity of our posts and we have instances where posts topple and cause harm to the public.)

Pateros Mayor Miguel Ponce III said that in the past six months, there had been four fire incidents in Pateros that were related to wires.

“Recently, meron kaming sunog na na-experience because of the cables.  Akala ko nga noon, hindi ito capable na masunog eh. Pero nasusunog din pala. So problema yon,” Ponce told GMA Integrated News.

(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.)

Several residents complained that they were not advised beforehand that such a clearing operation will be conducted in their area today.

Resident Lance Gutierrez said he was on duty as a work-from-home (WFH) call center supervisor when he lost his internet connection.

“Humihingi kami ng paumanhin pero nagkaroon po tayo ng almost a month na coordination sa mga telco. At yung mismong LGU ng Pateros ay nagpa-meeting din sa mga telcos so dapat in-advise-an po sila,” Montoya said.

(We apologize but we had almost a month of coordination with the telecommunications companies. And the Pateros LGU itself had a meeting with the telcos so their customers should have been advised.)

“Almost a month na po yung advise natin. Ang unang request natin is magkusa na silang magtanggal. Eh pag hindi pa sila umaksiyon, kami na po mismo ang magtatanggal,” Montoya 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.)

Ponce is recommending to the Metro Manila Council to issue a resolution for the implementation of a uniform system against these so-called “spaghetti wires”.

A bill against these unsightly and potentially dangerous “spaghetti wires” is pending in the House of Representatives.—RF, GMA Integrated News