Globe crackdown vs cable theft leads to filing of 11 cases, arrest of 25 suspects

Police and Globe security personnel inspect cut Globe cables seized from cable theft suspects in Dalaguete, Cebu.

Globe Telecom’s crackdown versus cable theft has led to the filing of 11 separate criminal cases involving 25 individual suspects in the Visayas region in January alone.

The high incidence of cable theft arrest and the subsequent filing of criminal charges against the suspects indicate the company’s intensified efforts in its drive against cable theft, emphasized Ronald Uychutin, Globe Director for Security and Anti-Fraud and Investigation.

“Globe will continue to step up its campaign against cable theft as such illegal activity usually causes disruption of communication services, adversely affecting operations of some of our business clients, and causing inconvenience to our subscribers,” Uychutin said.  The Globe executive said he is confident the cases filed against the suspects will be resolved in favor of the telecommunications company, citing recent court decision involving two separate cases of theft involving Globe cables in Bais City, Negros Oriental. Said cases were resolved in favor of Globe, resulting in the conviction of 5 persons, who were all sentenced to a penalty of 6 years of imprisonment. “A similar resolution of the criminal cases would hopefully deter cable thefts in the future,” added Uychutin.

                Those who have been charged with criminal complaints were identified as Rodrigo Celedio, Jr.; Alexander Mamasaranao, Edwin Nulla, Neil Tising; Jojit Magdamit; Mark Jasper Reyes; Jersom Brigoli; Damasino Dayagbel; Nicolas Bantilan, Errol Cabatingan; Lowell Cabatingan; Angelo Vaflor; Joshua Lecciones; Anthony Pagado; Delon Batayola; Alex Carambias; Manny Layese; Allan Camposo; Florentino Canque; Alexander Lato; Jovanie Tumulak; Ivan Gonzales; Edgardo Lumanta; Jandrew Villanueva; Joselito Manican.

                Based on police records, Celedio was involved in a cable theft incident that occurred in Maybog in Baybay, Leyte. He was arrested while in the act of cutting Globe wires last January 3 while an accomplice managed to escape.  Mamasaranao, Nulla and Tising were involved in a cable theft incident that took place on January 5 in Barangay Luy-a in Medellin, Cebu. Magdamit and Reyes were arrested on January 2 while they were in the act of cutting Globe wires along Tres De Abril St., Labangon, Cebu.

Last January 9, Brigoli and Dayagbel were arrested as they were caught red-handed in the act of cutting Globe wires in front of the municipal hall building of Dalaguete, Cebu. The two suspects were with 8 other suspects who managed to escape.  A cable-cutting incident in Barangay Cogonin  Bogo City, Cebu the following day, on January 10^th, led to the arrest of  Vaflor and Lecciones. Another suspect, identified only as Jun-Jun, managed to escape.

Another cable-cutting incident on January 11^th in Poblacion in San Remegio, Cebu led to the arrest of Bantilan, Errol Cabatingan and Lowell Cabatingan while on January 14^th,  police arrested Pagado and Batayola who were involved in a cable-cutting incident in Barangay Ticad, Bantayan, Cebu.

Last January 19, barangay tanods chased and accosted Carambias and Layese although three of their companions managed to evade arrest.  Two days later, on January 21^st, police arrested Camposo while on January 25^th, police arrested Canque, Lato, Tumulak, Gonzales and Lumanta who were all caught in the act of cutting cables. On January 31^st, Villanueva and Manican were arrested by police authorities after they caught in possession of cut Globe cable wire insulators.