House bill seeks to rid streets of 'spaghetti' wires

A Bulacan lawmaker has filed a bill seeking to clear roads of dangling wires and overhead cables to prevent possible accidents these may cause. 

House Bill No. 10427 or the “Anti-Dangling Wires Act of 2024” covers all public utility providers such as telephone companies, and cable and internet providers. 

If passed into law, public utility providers must bundle up their sagging and dangling aerial utility wires, remove all non-operational or unused wires and cables, and relocate or replace post adhering to the specified allowable clearance of aerial wires and cables. 

Local government units, meanwhile, may withhold or cancel the permits of erring providers if they failed to comply with the law. 

In filling the bill,  Bulacan Representative Salvador Pleyto Sr. said that dangling wires has been a “perennial problem” in various cities and municipalities despite the issuance of local ordinances. 

“The presence of non-operational overhead cable TV and telephone wires hanging precariously from poles, trees and high-rise structures has become a significant nuisance, not only because of its unsightly appearance, but primarily because of the conceivable accident it may cause,”  the bill’s explanatory note read. 

The Metro Manila Council earlier said that different local governments will coordinate with telecommunications companies regarding the handling of “spaghetti wires” or tangled wires hanging over streets. 

In February, Senator Raffy Tulfo filed a resolution seeking a probe on the frequent road accidents due to the  mishandling and improper maintenance of live wires and unattended wires.  —Vince Angelo Ferreras/KBK, GMA Integrated News