Duterte confident China won’t control PH power grid

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his speech after leading the awarding ceremony for the 2019 Model Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) Family of the Year Award (MOFYA) at the Malacañan Palace on November 28, 2019. TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday brushed aside the claim that China is capable of controlling the Philippines’ power grid.

The President said he sees “no problem” with China’s co-ownership of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), a private consortium that manages and operates the Philippines’ power transmission infrastructure.

“It cannot be a problem,” Duterte told Palace reporters, when sought to react to reports that China can access and shut down the Philippines’ power grid.

“And China has talked to us through me. [It asks], ‘Kulang ba ang Pilipino ng trust (Do the Filipinos have lack of trust in us)?’ But I trust them. I take their word for it,” he said.

Transco or the National Transmission Corp, a state-owned firm, owns the grid or the transmission lines that connect power plants to power distribution utilities. Meantime, NGCP manages and operates the grid.

China’s State Grid Corp. owns 40 percent of the NGCP.

Some senators and former Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio have raised concerns over China’s co-ownership of the NGCP.

Carpio on Tuesday said Beijing’s control of NGCP should be a “cause for concern” because it would be “easy” for the foreign country to shut down the Philippines’ power grid by “inject[ing] malware or software.”

On Wednesday, the NGCP said State Grid Corp.’s 40-percent stake in the NGCP is limited to being a “technical adviser”.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang also allayed Filipinos’ fears, saying that it is “completely groundless” to claim that China has control over the Philippines’ power infrastructure.

Duterte said he would believe China rather than Carpio.

He added that the military can handle any issues concerning the country’s national security.

“May mga (There are) security issues that can be handled by the military,” the President said.

“Hindi ako naniniwala diyan kay Carpio wala namang matinong sinabi iyan eh. Ano ang sinabi niyang nakatulong sa Pilipinas (I don’t believe Carpio because he does not make any sense. What are the things he said that became beneficial to the Philippines)?” he added