Faces of the News: Risa Hontiveros

ILLUSTRATION BY RENE ELEVERA

Opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros got the support of energy officials when she raised the alarm about possible Chinese control of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), the country’s sole transmission provider.

The NGCP is 40 percent owned by the State Grid Corp. of China. Melvin Matibag, president of the National Transmission Corp., also told the Senate that it was possible for a hostile third party to disable the Philippines’ power grid remotely. C

hina denied this, but the Senate is planning to push through with an inquiry into the operations of the NGCP.

With even the Department of Energy and its Secretary Alfonso Cusi raising questions about the franchise agreement “that seems inimical to the best interests of the national government, and more importantly, the Filipino people,” it may be time to shine a light into the transmission provider’s operations.