BWD warns: Beware of water meter thieves
>> Wednesday, August 11, 2021
By Mark Victor Pasagoy
BAGUIO
WATER DISTRICT officials urged the public to be vigilant and help stop the
proliferation of water meter theft in the city.
BWD general manager engineer Salvador M. Royeca expressed alarm over the series of water meter theft reported the previous months here in the Summer Capital.
“While it is the district’s responsibility to provide adequate and potable water at affordable rates to its customers, it is hampered during instances when felons steal or damage some of our facilities,” Royeca said.
While the city has a low number of cases in contrast to other areas such as Metro Cebu Water District where it has reported more than 300 water meters stolen in just three (3) months in 2005, the BWD needs to replace stolen water meters from its finances instead of allocating these funds for other more important water supply improvement projects.
The BWD Management has already requested the assistance of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO), barangay officials through the Liga Ng Mga Barangay-Baguio City Chapter, and junkshop owners within Baguio and the neighboring La Trinidad town to curb the incident.
BWD customers are also encouraged to be extra mindful of their individual water meters, their meter’s location, safety and security.
“We’ve already sent letters requesting assistance from the police, barangay officials, including junk shops since these felons usually dispose or sell the water meters as scrap for its bronze, or as surplus or second-hand items.” GM Royeca said.
The Anti-Fencing Law defines fencing as the “act of any person who, with intent to gain for himself or for another shall buy, receive, possess, keep, acquire, conceal, sell or dispose of or shall buy and sell or in any manner deal in any article item object or anything of value which he knows or should be known to him to have been derived from the proceeds of the crime of robbery or theft”. Moreover, the law provides that a fence includes any person, firm, association, corporation, or partnership or organization, which commits the act of fencing.
GM Royeca reminded customers to transact only with authorized BWD personnel. As a matter of standard procedures, the pull-out of water meters shall only be done by authorized BWD personnel upon presentation of an official BWD ID and upon acknowledgment of the customer or his/her authorized representative of the job order alongside the presentation of a properly filled out BWD Customer Investigation Report form.
To report unscrupulous person/s selling suspected stolen water meters or for further inquiries, please feel free to contact any of the BWD 24/7 hotline numbers; 442-3218, 442-4929, 09088651504, 09176794929, 09228409765, or message us through Facebook at BWD_Customer Relations, or email baguiowaterdistrictgmo@gmail.com .
BWD general manager engineer Salvador M. Royeca expressed alarm over the series of water meter theft reported the previous months here in the Summer Capital.
“While it is the district’s responsibility to provide adequate and potable water at affordable rates to its customers, it is hampered during instances when felons steal or damage some of our facilities,” Royeca said.
While the city has a low number of cases in contrast to other areas such as Metro Cebu Water District where it has reported more than 300 water meters stolen in just three (3) months in 2005, the BWD needs to replace stolen water meters from its finances instead of allocating these funds for other more important water supply improvement projects.
The BWD Management has already requested the assistance of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO), barangay officials through the Liga Ng Mga Barangay-Baguio City Chapter, and junkshop owners within Baguio and the neighboring La Trinidad town to curb the incident.
BWD customers are also encouraged to be extra mindful of their individual water meters, their meter’s location, safety and security.
“We’ve already sent letters requesting assistance from the police, barangay officials, including junk shops since these felons usually dispose or sell the water meters as scrap for its bronze, or as surplus or second-hand items.” GM Royeca said.
The Anti-Fencing Law defines fencing as the “act of any person who, with intent to gain for himself or for another shall buy, receive, possess, keep, acquire, conceal, sell or dispose of or shall buy and sell or in any manner deal in any article item object or anything of value which he knows or should be known to him to have been derived from the proceeds of the crime of robbery or theft”. Moreover, the law provides that a fence includes any person, firm, association, corporation, or partnership or organization, which commits the act of fencing.
GM Royeca reminded customers to transact only with authorized BWD personnel. As a matter of standard procedures, the pull-out of water meters shall only be done by authorized BWD personnel upon presentation of an official BWD ID and upon acknowledgment of the customer or his/her authorized representative of the job order alongside the presentation of a properly filled out BWD Customer Investigation Report form.
To report unscrupulous person/s selling suspected stolen water meters or for further inquiries, please feel free to contact any of the BWD 24/7 hotline numbers; 442-3218, 442-4929, 09088651504, 09176794929, 09228409765, or message us through Facebook at BWD_Customer Relations, or email baguiowaterdistrictgmo@gmail.com .
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