By Alfonso T. Ruda
DIPOLOG
CITY - The
National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has warned the public,
particularly residents of the Zamboanga Peninsula region of the systemized scam
concerning right-of-way (ROW) claims.
Atty. Cynthia Alabanza, NGCP
spokesperson issued the warning after receiving report that an organized group
claiming to be a representative of NGCP is contacting land owners who have
properties or who live under the company’s transmission lines and facilities.
According to Alabanza, the group is
allegedly promising land owners of payment ranging from P50,000.00 to
P300,000.00 for every tower to be constructed within their properties.
The group requires land owners to provide
the copy of their Certificate of Land Title or Tax Declaration to support their
support claim from NGCP. In return, the group is asking for the 40 percent of
their claim as the group’s commission.
Alabanza said this activity is not
sanctioned by NGCP and the group has no legal personality to represent the
company. “We would like to warn the public to refrain from transacting with
these individuals as they are not connected with NGCP and will only take
advantage of your properties,” she said.
According to NGCP, they conduct ROW
negotiations with land owners whose properties are and will be traversed by
transmission lines but such negotiation is done professionally with no fees
being required from land owners. Alabanza pointed out that NGCP directly deals
with land owners and never hire the services of a third party as its
representative to the negotiation.
NGCP is a privately-owned
corporation in charge of operating, maintaining and developing the country’s
power grid. It transmits high voltage electricity through “power super
highways” that include the inter-connected system of transmission lines and
towers, sub-stations and related assets.
NGCP’s regular maintenance
activities and expansion projects aim to enhance reliability and delivery of
quality of electricity to customers or power utility providers.(FPG/NGCP/ATR/PIA9)
