(UPDATE) Total blackout hits Cotabato Light franchise area, PPALMA, Maguindanao

COTABATO CITY - Total blackout hits the franchise area of Cotabato Light and Power Company, including part of North Cotabato and Maguindanao after one of the transmission towers of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) was toppled in Pagangan, Aleosan.NGCP Steel Tower No. 68 was bombed, using improvised explosive device,by still unidentified men, Aleosan Mayor Vicente Sorupia Jr said.He said residents in Barangay Pagangan heard loud explosions at about 9:20 p.m. Thursday.Quoting a report from NGCP, Arlene Hepiga of Cotabato Light said the Kibawe-Simuay 138 KV line was still out as of 10 a.m.Friday.She said shifting of loads via Tacurong Sub-Station also failed after three attempts overnight.NGCP linemen were checking on the Salvo-Datu Piang station to Barangay Capiton in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.As of posting at 10 a.m. power was still out.The more than 12 hour power outage in Cotabato City occurred while the city residents have been dealing with rotational brownout of 2 to 3 hours a day for the past two weeks.