Police are investigating the theft of electrical cables from a key flood control pumping station in Navotas after armed suspects allegedly cut and carried off the equipment.

Northern Police District (NPD) director Brig. Gen. Benliner Capili ordered a probe and manhunt for the unidentified suspects involved in the incident.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chief Don Artes disclosed on social media that 10 meters of grounding cable were stolen from the NavGate pumping station, also known as the North Navotas Pumping Station, located along the Navotas-Malabon River near Barangay Tangos North and Barangay Tanza.

Security camera footage captured armed individuals walking away from the facility. The security guard on duty chose not to confront the suspects out of fear for his life, authorities said.

The NavGate facility controls tidal overflow from Manila Bay, shielding low-lying communities in both Navotas and neighboring Malabon from severe flooding.

The MMDA general manager condemned the theft, warning that while the scrap value of the stolen cable at junk shops is minimal, its loss poses significant flood risks to thousands of residents across both cities.

Authorities have heightened security measures at critical pumping stations across the metropolis while police track down the suspects.