‘Security audit’ of PH power transmission facilities urged

In proposed Senate Resolution No. 223, which Hontiveros filed Monday night, the senator also called on the Senate to look into the national security implications of said foreign access to NGCP’s power transmission facilities. (Shutterstock Photo)

MANILA — Senator Risa Hontiveros has filed a resolution urging Congress to conduct a national security audit on the operations and facilities of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) amid recent revelations of foreign access and control over the country’s power transmission system.

In proposed Senate Resolution No. 223, which Hontiveros filed Monday night, the senator also called on the Senate to look into the national security implications of said foreign access to NGCP’s power transmission facilities.

NGCP, which is in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the Philippines’ state-owned power grid, is a consortium of three corporations — Monte Oro Grid Resources Corporation, Calaca High Power Corporation, and the State Grid Corporation of China.

The Chinese state-owned company owns 40 percent of NGCP.

During the audit of the Joint Congressional Energy Commission, Hontiveros said, lawmakers will “review and evaluate the performance of the NGCP,” as well as investigate reports alleging that China may control and remotely shut down the country’s power transmission system.

“We need to know for certain if our energy systems and infrastructure fully remain under Filipino control, and if we have implemented the technical safeguards needed to prevent foreign interference in, or sabotage, of our national electricity grid,” Hontiveros said in a statement Tuesday.

The senator pointed to reports of “foreign executives” connected with the NGCP who possess the authority to hire and deploy personnel, including engineers.

She also noted reports claiming that only Chinese engineers have been able to troubleshoot, operate and control the NGCP’s power transmission facilities “because of the currently-installed information and communication technology for the automatic and remote monitoring and control of said facilities.”

Hontiveros said just recently, during the Senate’s deliberation of the Energy department’s 2020 budget, National Transmission Corporation (TransCo) president Melvin Matibag confirmed that “it was possible for a hostile third party to disable the country’s power grid remotely.”

Matibag said despite exercising oversight functions over NGCP, Transco’s access to NGCP’s facilities has been limited.

“If these reports are true, these vulnerabilities pose a grave risk to public infrastructure vital to national security, and to the daily lives of our people. We must address and correct these flaws immediately,” Hontiveros said.