Only 21 out of 548 electricity pilferage cases recorded since 2022 have resulted in convictions, data presented at the Senate Committee on Energy hearing on August 18 showed, revealing severe enforcement gaps under Republic Act 7832 or the Anti-Electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage Act of 1994.
PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Eduard Padilla Mallo reported that most violations involved theft, meter tampering and anti-fencing provisions, with 314 cases in Calabarzon and 101 in the National Capital Region leading all regions.
Of the total cases, 32 remain under investigation, 22 were settled amicably, and 25 were dropped after complainants declined to pursue charges.
Authorities have arrested 665 suspects while 120 remain at large. Of 279 cases referred to prosecutors, nine were dismissed and 265 proceeded to preliminary investigation; 190 reached court, with 37 at arraignment, 123 undergoing trial, and only 21 convicted, while 469 more cases are pending in various courts.
Mallo cited difficulties establishing offender identities, securing technical evidence, and obtaining cooperation from witnesses and utilities as key barriers to successful prosecution.
In the same hearing, the Department of Energy proposed a phased removal of non-technical systems loss charges currently passed on to consumers, a cost-recovery mechanism that effectively forces honest ratepayers to subsidize losses from illegal connections and theft, distinct from unavoidable technical losses in power transmission.
The low conviction rate undermines legal deterrence, perpetuates non-technical losses that drive up electricity prices, and underscores the urgent need for stronger inter-agency coordination, faster case resolution, and stricter accountability for utilities, while the DOE’s proposal aims to shift financial responsibility back to service providers to create stronger incentives to curb power theft.
