As usual when it comes to details on armed conflict in Mindanao, you won’t find much of anything in the Manila papers about this – here’s a lone report. The two articles above do a better job of capturing more detail. A lot of journalists have struggled, and many continue to struggle, to bring more to light; a lot of journalists have died in the process.

I provided some details on the March and October bombings here – in all cases the same Agus-Kibawae line has been involved. The October bombing, if you recall, took down the whole Mindanao grid practically. But the most recent is pretty amazing in that three structures were struck on the same night. Here’s a Transco single-line diagram of the relevant area from my previous post.

This Mindanews report says the following lines tripped:

• Agus 2-Kibawe lines 1 and 2
• Abaga-Agus 2 lines 1 and 2
• Abaga-Agus 6 lines 1 and 2
• Abaga-Tagoloan
• Abaga-Aurora
• Abaga-Lugait-Tagoloan

This first graphic is a zoomed in portion of a 2003 Napocor Grid Map showing the central Mindanao area.

Now, the Agus 2 – Kibawe line is an infamous line. Back in March of this year:

“Tower Number 19 along the Agus 2-Kibawe 138KV line was bombed and toppled around 11:30 in the evening on Tuesday March 13, 2007 at Barangay Sugod, Marawi City with the use of improvised high-powered explosives”

Back in December 2004, Napocor President Ortiz was dispatched to Mindanao after a massive blackout occurred one day after the deadly public market bombing in General Santos. Napocor reported to the press that it was not terrorist related but:

“there was however a sudden “transient high restive line fault” along the Abaga-Agus 2 to Agus-Kibawe that resulted to the tripping and overloading of other lines”

I’m sure people were antsy about the Dec ‘04 being terrorist related because back in April of 2003 towers were damaged along the Agus-Kibawe 138 kV circuit.

Here is a slide from the 2004 Transmission Development Plan showing that terrorist activities on the Agus-Kibawe line caused Napocor to plan a new alternative transmission line between Abaga and Kibawe to the east.

Now, looking at the grid map, it’s clear that my post earlier today was wrong when I said: “Nine 138 kV circuits is essentially the whole transmission system.” Clearly, nine circuits is a minority of the transmission lines in Mindanao. But they are key and at the heart of the system.

[Updates in comments below]