Why focus on NGCP? Marcoleta says power generation is the problem

Manila Bulletin

SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta took issue with what he described as the undue focus given to transmission company National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) on the problem of costly electricity.  READ: https://mb.com.ph/2025/1/23/why-focus-on-ngcp-marcoleta-says-power-generation-is-the-problem  Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin  Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin  #ManilaBulletinOnline #ManilaBulletin #LatestNews

Transcript

00:00Thank you, Mr. Chair. First of all, I find it a little bit difficult to understand why

00:07Transco is the one passing judgment on the performance of NGCP. I'd like to believe,

00:12Mr. Chair, it should be ERC who should be advising us on the aspects and the pertinent

00:19indicators for us to understand whether or not NGCP performed well in accordance with

00:27the rule. Kasi, Mr. Chair, I think it is better for us to determine which performed better

00:38in relation to the grid performance. Nung panahon ba ng Transco o nung panahonan ng

00:43NGCP? This is more understandable for us. Lawmakers, kaya naming intindihin ito, ma'am,

00:51but I don't think you are in a position to pass judgment on the performance of NGCP.

00:57Kayo po ang may-ari nyan eh. Kayo ang may-ari, pero sila po yung operator ngayon. But, I think,

01:07Madam ERC, kayo po ang merong role dito eh. But before that, Mr. Chair, I think you made

01:17the opening salvo and said that the very purpose of this hearing is for us to determine or to

01:24lower the rates of electricity in this country. If that is the primordial objective, I believe,

01:31Mr. Chair, the cost share of NGCP in the entire electric bill of our people is only 3 percent.

01:41Fifty-two percent still in generation. Twenty-five percent is in distribution. So if we are serious

01:49enough in focusing our attention in reducing the electricity in this country, let us focus

01:56on which area takes up the largest share. Dapat sa generation tayo eh. Pero andaming problema po,

02:06Mr. Chair eh. I already pointed out this to the DOE. Noon po, ERC muna, if we wanted to

02:15reduce the electricity in this country, let me ask the ERC, bakit ang ganyan po wala kayong

02:24regulations on aggregation? Bakit yung ati pong ARCOA hindi nyo pinatutupad? This is where we

02:31can reduce our electricity. Last time, the hearing that we had, Mr. Chair, lagi natin pinag-usapan

02:40about the Chinese na may one push, may button sa China na once na pinindut yon, magkaka magbabrown

02:49out. So I would like to ask NGCP, totoo ba yon na may one button na basag pinrest mo,

02:57blackout ang buong Pilipinas? Maraming nanonood sa ati kasi natatakot sila rito. So gusto natin,

03:03for the record, totoo ba yon na isang pindut lang magbablackout ang buong Pilipinas?

03:09Parang bang sa Mission Impossible movie, parang ganon, totoo ba yon?

03:13Mr. Chair, wala pong ganon sa NGCP. Mr. Chairman, he's our Chief Technical Officer,

03:21Mr. Chairman, a Filipino citizen, Engineer Rico Vega. Are you in the position to answer that?

03:30Yes, Mr. Chair, I'm the OIC, Chief Technical Officer of NGCP.

03:35Please, go ahead. That has been a concern, correct?

03:40Yes, sir. I confirm that there is no push button anywhere that can

03:49blackout the whole grid of the Philippines.

03:53But I just would like to, I think the question is based on, are you 100%? Because you did not

04:04make that. The National Grid did not make that software and did not make that. I'm not talking

04:11about a button, we're talking about anything, but you're able to tamper with our supply of

04:18electricity, our transmission of electricity. As we have reported, Mr. Chair, our SCADA is not

04:24connected to the internet. It cannot be accessed. It has its own hostages.

04:32Mr. President Jesus, you should have the floor.

04:36Thank you, Mr. Chair. Sigur palang, question lang. Yung access ba ng Chinese counterpart nyo

04:43sa ganitong klaseng control, nakikilam ba sila pagdating sa ganito?

04:49Mr. Chair, all our low dispatch center and engineers in our facilities are all Filipinos.

05:01Mr. Chair, can I assure the Filipino people, especially yung mga nanonood sa atin,

05:08there's no such things. I want you to confirm that. You're under oath. Mr. Chair,

05:13na-under oath ba sila? Just to make sure na...

05:16Oh yes, that's a very good...

05:18Kasi very important to, no? Kasi ang ating mga kababayan, natatakot baka nga may push

05:24vote. I just want to confirm na talaga walang ganon.

05:26So on the request of the Honorable President, we will suspend your time. Please rise.

05:33Everybody, all resource persons, pate yung mga nasa likod, all resource persons attending for

05:40the first time, okay? Please rise. Please.

05:47Please raise your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth,

05:50the whole truth and nothing but the truth, before these congressional inquiries? I help you, God.

05:56Thank you. Please take your seats. Okay, the Honorable President Jesus.

05:59Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, kasi, you know, we work in the energy sector for the last 15 years,

06:09so hindi madali magpatay o mag-shut off ng kuryente. Can you explain yung procedure,

06:16kung paano sina-shut down ang buong grid? Yan ba isang pindot lang dito sa Pilipinas,

06:23o iba sa Luzon, iba sa Visayas, iba Mindanao, o iba bayan? Kasi meron tayong mga substation

06:30tender na sila rang... Can you explain that if you have a presentation? Para once and for all

06:35maintindihan ng ating kababayan, ano ba kasi natatakot sila sa one button na yan,

06:40na sinasabi nila? Please explain. Mr. Chairman, may I... Please. I'm sorry.

06:48Are you a technical person? I'm not. I just want to raise a point, Mr. Chairman.

06:55Can you respond to the question? Yes. Mr. Chairman, we have protocols,

07:01but I would like to assure this honorable body that we can divulge everything about our protocols,

07:07but these are very, very sensitive issues, and they involve national security. We request,

07:15Mr. Chairman, that if we will be compelled to do that, we request for an executive session.

07:22Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

07:24Okay. Thank you very much. And last point, Mr. Chairman,

07:27on China being able to put off the whole grid, Mr. Chairman, that's fake news.

07:35Okay. Thank you very much, Mr. Paul Sagayo. Don Presti, you see that? Honorable Presti.

07:42Yeah. So again, so hindi totoo yon. So at least just to make it clear.

07:47Okay. Tony Paul? Maybe Tony Paul will come here. Hindi totoo yon.

07:50Yes. Absolutely a lie, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

07:54Thank you very much.

07:55Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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