WHEREAS, on March 1, 1974 Presidential Decree No. 401 was promulgated in order to put an end to rampant illegal installation of water, electrical and telephone connection, use of tampered water and electrical meters, jumpers and other devices to steal water or electricity;

WHEREAS, Presidential Decree No. 401 does not include in its coverage the unauthorized/illegal/unlawful installation of piped gas connection and other similar acts, although this nefarious activity is violative to the objectives of the New Society and constitutes theft of piped gas;

WHEREAS, there is an equally urgent need to put an end to rampant theft/pilferage of piped gas, unauthorized/illegal/unlawful installation of piped gas connection, use of tampered gas meters, jumpers and other devices to steal piped gas, and other similar acts;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, and pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972, and General Order No. 1 dated September 22, 1972, as amended, do hereby order and decree that Presidential Decree No. 401 be amended as follows:

"SECTION 1. Any person who installs any water, electrical, telephone or piped gas connection without previous authority from the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, the Manila Electric Company, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, or the Manila Gas Corporation, as the case may be, tampers and/or uses tampered water, electrical or gas meters, jumpers or other devices whereby water, electricity or piped gas is stolen; steals or pilfers water, electric or piped gas meters, or water, electric and/or telephone wires, or piped gas pipes or conduits; knowingly possesses stolen or pilfered water, electrical or gas meters as well as stolen or pilfered water, electrical and/or telephone wires, or piped gas pipes and conduits, shall, upon conviction, be punished with prision correccional in its minimum period or a fine ranging from two thousand to six thousand pesos, or both.

"If the violation is committed by, or with the connivance of an officer or employee of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, or the Manila Electric Company, or the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, or the Manila Gas Corporation, such officer or employee shall, upon conviction, be punished with a penalty one degree higher than the penalty provided herein, and forthwith be dismissed and perpetually disqualified from employment in any public or private utility or service company.

"SECTION 2. Any provision of Presidential Decree No. 401 and of any law inconsistent with this Decree is hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

"SECTION 3. This Decree shall take effect immediately."

Done in the City of Manila, this 6th day of March, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-four.

			(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS President of the Philippines
	By the President:
	(Sgd.) ALEJANDRO MELCHOR Executive Secretary