Mayor Isko Moreno Warns Cable Thieves in Tondo Fire
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno issued a stern warning to a group of men caught on video stealing burned electrical cables in Tondo.
On Wednesday (August 8, 2025), a large fire broke out in Barangay 105, Aroma, Happyland in Tondo and left the community suffering from both the destruction and the aftermath. While the fire itself caused huge damage, the theft of the cables added another layer of difficulty to the recovery efforts.
Recently, Mayor Isko Moreno warned a group of men caught on video stealing burned electrical cables after the fire brokeout in Tondo, Manila.
In a Facebook post, the mayor made it clear that those responsible for the theft would soon be caught and held accountable. The incident, which quickly went viral, showed several men scrambling to grab copper from the damaged power lines before running away when the police arrived.
‘Yung grupo ng tolongges na nasa viral video ngayon — ‘yung nag-aagawan sa tanso ng nasunog na kable ng kuryente. Magsitago na kayo! In a matter of time, makakalawit din namin kayo, at pananagutin ko kayo sa batas!” Moreno said.
According to Mayor Isko, the suspects are also residents of the barangay. He explained that the theft has made it harder to restore electricity in the area, prolonging the inconvenience for other residents affected by the fire.
Authorities wasted no time responding to the incident. Two of the alleged thieves were arrested on the spot and are now facing charges for violating Republic Act No. 7832, also known as the Anti-Electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage Act of 1994.
Meralco, the electric company servicing the area, will be the official complainant in the case.
In a previous post, residents in Tondo caught stealing copper wires after massive fire
The social media users expressed their reactions to Mayor Isko’s statement:
