The government might impose additional requirements on the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) for its continued operations once its franchise is placed under review, according to National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr.

National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon (Alvin Kasiban / MANILA BULLETIN)

Esperon recently disclosed that an inter-agency technical working group has recently been created to look into the security concerns arising from the stake held by a Chinese company in the NGCP.

“If we have to review it, anyway the end of its franchise is coming up eh di magbigay tayo ng mga ibang criteria for its continuing operations,” he said in an interview with reporters at the Palace last Friday.

“It is subject to review kaya mayroon kaming technical working group. We are aware of that, we are aware of your concern,” he added.

For now, Esperon admitted that his office has coordinated with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to put in place a system to strengthen cyber-security in the country.

“It’s something I would like to get into yung National Grid Corporation. Sinasabi kasi baka may control ang China, may backflow but actually yung DICT and NSA last time mayroon ng system na iniligay dyan para makita kung may backflow [Some say there might be back flow from the control of China but the DICT and NSA established a system to check if there is indeed backflow,” he said.

“In the last meeting of the National Cyber Security Inter-Agency Committee which I co-chair, gumawa kami na ng inter-agency technical working group to take care of one for NGCP,” he added.

In 2007, the consortium composed of Monte Oro Grid Resources Corp., Calaca High Power Corporation, and the State Grid Corporation of China secured a 25-year concession to operate the country’s power transmission network.

A year later, Republic Act No. 9511 granted the privately-owned NGCP its franchise to engage in the transmission of electricity through a high-voltage backbone system of interconnected transmission lines, substations and related facilities.

Reports recently suggested that Chinese nationals might have taken control over NGCP operations, which are reportedly considered a violation of the country’s anti-dummy law.