Councilor rages against dangling wires in streets

NAGA CITY --- Invoking a city ordinance that was enacted 14 years ago, neophyte City Councilor Joe Perez in a privilege speech during last Tuesday’s session of the Sangguniang Panglunsod rose to ask whatever happened to Ordinance No. 2005-030, or the ordinance regulating the installation and maintenance of distribution lines of various utilities in the City of Naga?

Answering his own question, Perez said, “Nothing!” In fact, he said, the situation has gone from bad to worse, referring to the dangling wires across streets and highways that have become both an eyesore and hazard to both motorists and commuters.

He pointed to the apparent negligence and abandonment on the part of both the companies that own and installed these electric and cable wires, as well as the authorities mandated to enforce the measure.

“Despite the ordinance and the penalty provisions thereof, nothing has been going as regards our electric lines and cables,” Perez said, adding that the culprit are the giant and mighty-rich telephone and telcom firms and the sole electric cooperative operating in the city.

He lamented that the eyesores (dangling wires) remain as disgusting as ever and yet these cable and power companies are practically laughing their way to the bank, Perez said.

An irate Perez disclosed that most of these cable lines that continue to dangle are no longer functional or serviceable (by as much as 70% to 80% of them) but are just left out between the posts at taxpayers’ expense.

A netizen, Engr. Warren Chavez, in his FB post later volunteered to explain: “These wires are mostly for telephone. The trouble with these companies is that they subcontract repair works. And when your line is cut, they don’t go into the trouble of tracing the failed connection. They lay a fresh cable and leave the old one where it is. Kaya habang naghahaloy, padakol yan nin padakol but most of these cables are no longer in use.”

In closing, Perez said he would soon file a resolution summoning the power and cable companies involved to explain why they should not be held liable or accountable by continuing to ignore the express provisions of the ordinance. He said that with that meeting or dialogue, he hopes to “discuss with them and other stakeholders what better way to be done to resolve, once and for all, this eyesore, this hazard that stare us in our faces.”