Globe Telecom and its tower company partners recorded 1,245 cases of telecommunications equipment theft as of September 2026, causing service outages nationwide, the company said.
Globe called for a coordinated government response to prevent further incidents, enforce existing laws, and address the illegal resale of stolen cables and other network equipment.
“This is no longer simply a matter of stolen equipment. When critical telecommunications infrastructure is damaged or taken, communities can lose connectivity and the investments being made to improve network services are undermined,” said Froilan Castelo, general counsel of Globe.
“We need stronger, coordinated action across government, law enforcement, local communities, and the telecommunications industry to address this problem.”
The company urged the National Telecommunications Commission to bring together telecommunications operators, tower companies, and relevant government agencies to coordinate their response.
It also sought greater involvement from the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Philippine National Police, local government units, and barangays in preventing theft and pursuing those responsible.
Globe said barangay officials and tanods could help monitor vulnerable facilities, report suspicious activity, and verify whether people working on telecommunications equipment are authorized crews.
The company also called for action against buyers and sellers of stolen network materials, saying the resale market makes infrastructure theft profitable.
Globe cited the Revised Penal Code and the Anti-Fencing Law as existing legal avenues for prosecuting theft and transactions involving stolen property. It called for stronger and more consistent enforcement through coordination among authorities, communities, and industry participants.
The company said repeated theft diverts resources from network expansion and upgrades to equipment replacement and service restoration. Outages can affect customers who depend on mobile and data services for work, education, business, and emergency communications, it said.
