MANILA, 10 September 2026 — The PNP and Meralco are now working side by side to go after people who steal electricity — the jumpers, the tampered meters, and the wires and cables taken from power lines.
The teamwork is covered by an agreement signed at Camp Crame last 8 June by PNP Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. and Brig. Gen. Matthew P. Baccay, together with Meralco officials Ronnie L. Aperocho and Jerry B. Lao. It renews an earlier deal from December 2024 and puts the PNP and utility crews on the same page: they share information, plan operations together, and go out on the ground together. The law behind it, Republic Act 7832, makes stealing power a crime.
Gen. Nartatez has told PNP offices across the country to work closely with Meralco crews, build strong cases, and act right away on reports of jumpers, tampered meters, and stolen wires. He said the job is about keeping power lines safe so people don’t lose service.
Here is why the PNP matters so much. Stealing electricity is a crime, and only the PNP can investigate it and bring a case to court. On its own, a power company can only check the meter, cut the line, and correct the bill. That is where it ends. With the PNP involved, the case does not stop at the meter — it goes all the way to court.
95 
