Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro has sounded the alarm over a looming national security threat posed by China’s involvement in the Philippine power grid, citing risks of foreign control and potential sabotage.
During a hearing of the House Committee on Legislative Franchises, Luistro questioned the reliance of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) on Chinese technology and demanded immediate action to safeguard the country’s critical infrastructure.
“The apprehensions we are facing right now about having our national grid possibly controlled by a foreign national is right before our eyes. While it is just an apprehension, this is a question that needs to be answered with absolute certainty,” Luistro said in a House press release.
Her warning stemmed from NGCP’s dependence on technology supplied by NARI Group Corporation, a Chinese state-owned enterprise that provides the hardware and software powering the grid’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.
SCADA serves as the nervous system of the country’s electricity network, controlling everything from power plants to transmission lines.
NARI, or Nanjing Automation Research Institute, a supplier of military-grade technology, maintains ties to NGCP, including the capability for remote access to the system.
Luistro tied the potential security risks of foreign control to China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea, where Filipino fishermen and vessels continue to face harassment from Chinese forces.
“With our present situation in the West Philippine Sea, Mr. Chair, I hope the Filipino people are walking with me right now,” Luistro said, addressing Parañaque City 2nd District Rep. Gus Tambunting, chair of the House franchise panel.
“Exclusive economic zone, which is exclusive for Filipino citizens as confirmed by UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) as confirmed by the international arbitration. And yet we continue to be harassed, threatened, and even injured by foreign nationals right in our sovereign land,” she added.
Luistro questioned whether entrusting the country’s power grid to a foreign entity with such a track record was wise.
She also criticized the failure of regulatory agencies to conduct comprehensive audits of NGCP’s operations, citing multiple directives from the Department of Energy and the Energy Regulatory Commission that were never implemented. ||
