By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff
reporter
PASUQUIN, Ilocos Norte—Two
transmission towers of the North Luzon Renewable Energy Corp. were bombed on
Thursday night, February 18.
Pasuquin Mayor Peter Felix Aguinaldo
confirmed this on February 19 following reports from nearby residents in
the mountainous barangay of Tadao, about 25 kilometers from Laoag City.
According to residents, they felt
like there was an earthquake at about 9:30 pm February 18 but they
did not bother to see what was going on outside their residence. In the
morning, they found the fallen adjacent line towers connecting the wind farms
in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. of press time, local authorities
here are still investigating the incident which they theorized was done by a
bomb expert.
Investigators added that improvised
explosive device were recovered in the area including fragmentations, surgical
masks, batteries, firing wires, plastic gloves and claymore mines. Those
materials, they added are similar to those used in the NGCP towers bombing
recently.
Meanwhile, Ilocos Norte Governor
Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos ordered further investigation citing the incident
is totally unacceptable and that perpetrators be held responsible.
When reached for comment, NLREC
representatives based in Ilocos Norte said they have yet to come up with an
official statement regarding the matter.
It may be recalled that on November
2014, a protest action marred the inauguration of the 81-megawatt Pagudpud
wind farm which NLREC operates.
Protesters then appealed to NLREC to
relocate its transmission lines that they said intruded into their land.
But according to NLREC, they have no
pending issues pertaining to the construction of their transmission lines with
lot owners.
The Pagudpud wind farm is a joint
venture of Ayala Corporation’s AC Energy Holdings, Inc. (ACEHI), UPC
Renewables, and Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure (PINAI).
Earlier, the Department of Energy
(DOE) has given the Northern Luzon UPC Asia Corporation (NLUPC) the go-signal
to construct the $220-M wind project.
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