PUBLIC Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon has ordered an investigation into the theft of specialized cables from a Tondo pumping station in Manila after the loss of the equipment caused the facility to fail, contributing to waist-deep flooding in the area.
Dizon said on Tuesday that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had ordered tighter security at pumping stations nationwide following the incident, with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) tapped to help secure and monitor the critical flood control facilities.
The stolen cables prevented the Sunog Apog pumping station from operating properly, leading to flooding in parts of Tondo, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) chief said.
Dizon inspected the pumping station following the incident and expressed frustration over the theft, saying the government had spent considerable resources to make the facility operational.
“We worked for so long to get this working. A huge amount of money was spent here, and then someone just stole from it. You are causing a huge inconvenience. The president will not tolerate this,” Dizon said.
He said the incident prompted the government to review security measures at pumping stations to prevent similar acts from disabling facilities intended to protect communities from flooding.
The move comes as Metro Manila and other parts of the country continue to face flooding from heavy rains from the southwest monsoon.
The agency said it has been working to improve the capacity and reliability of pumping stations and other flood-control infrastructure, particularly in densely populated areas vulnerable to flooding.
Dizon's directive places added emphasis on protecting the equipment itself, as the failure of a single critical component can affect the operation of an entire pumping facility.
Authorities are expected to determine how the specialized cables were removed from the Sunog Apog facility and identify those responsible for the theft.
The investigation would also determine whether security lapses contributed to the incident and what additional measures are needed to prevent unauthorized access to pumping stations.
The top DPWH official stressed that the use of the PCG to secure the facilities is part of the government's effort to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure, particularly pumping stations whose uninterrupted operation is essential during periods of heavy rainfall.
