Philippine senators are calling for an investigation into security issues when China owns part of the Philippines' energy network.

The call was made when Filipino officials believed that engineers in Beijing could turn off the power and immerse the country in darkness. Melvin Matibag, chairman of the Philippines National Transmission Corporation (TransCo), confirmed in a Senate discussion yesterday that there was a "possibility" of such a situation.

China National Grid Corporation holds a 40% stake in the Philippines National Grid Corporation (NGCP), a joint venture private, franchise company that operates the grid in 2009. TransCo previously operated the system and hours monitor NGCP operations, but Matabag told the senator that in reality, "access was restricted".

Risa Hontiveros, a Liberal opposition senator, first questioned the extent of China's control over the Philippine electricity network in the context of tension in the South China Sea. China "holds a part of our daily lives every minute, every hour, every time, when the system operation is controlled and managed by Chinese engineers. Indeed, it is an effort. strong, "she said.

"What happens if Chinese engineers disconnect the electricity?", She asked the energy leader during a 10-hour budget approval discussion in front of the Senate.

"I was told by the TransCo president that they could study this possibility, that they could operate the transmission line manually. Beijing could control it, but the TransCo technical capability could handle this." Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, who was charged with securing government budgets at the energy agency, answered questions.

"We will invite national security experts and the National Security Council to ensure they have contingency plans," Gatchalian added. He also mentioned a clause in the concession agreement that gives the President of the Philippines the right to reclaim all energy assets in the event that "people are in danger" and national security will be "100% protected".

However, Senator Miguel Zubiri, who is on the same side as Duterte, said the provision only worked "when we are not invaded". "If we are invaded and they cut off the electricity, it will be a problem," he worries.

Energy officials said the Philippines could only restore the electricity network manually within 24 to 48 hours depending on the severity of the situation.

Recent media suggested that only foreign engineers could troubleshoot, operate and control the electrical network of NGCP, as the remote control and monitoring system located in China belongs to China. Nari, based in Nanjing. In addition, the Chinese-speaking manual procedure and Filipino engineers cannot operate the system.

Hontiveros recorded the information and asked TransCo officials to verify whether the remote setup would allow Beijing to turn off the power grid. Nari Group also provides remote control systems for electrical networks in Kenya, Indonesia and Thailand, Hontiveros said.

Gatchalian consulted with energy officials during the Senate session, then quoted the president of TransCo as saying that the operating system was called Scada and could be controlled remotely. Scada, short for monitoring and data collection, is a computer system used in various industries to monitor and control in real time.

Gatchalian added that the Chinese manual has been translated into English. "I was told that Filipino engineers were operating the grid," he said.

Concerns about national security were raised when senators awaited a Defense Department decision on whether they allowed Dito Telecommunity to install telecom towers in barracks. China-backed Dito Telecommunity, formerly Mislatel, the third telecommunications business in the Philippines.

Last week, Francis Pangilinan, Chairman of the Liberal Party, reiterated recent Senate fears about possible national security risks, including the possibility of China eavesdropping on Philippine troops.

He revealed a risk assessment conducted by the Philippine Armed Forces concluded that the existing fixed-line communications system used to link all barracks and military bases nationwide "was vulnerable." eavesdrop and intercept ". Pangilinan added that eavesdropping devices are easy to find and cheap, meaning the Philippines must take steps to restrict access and increase network security.

However, Senator Panfilo Lacson, a former army officer, chairman of the Senate Defense Committee, said defense and military officials assured him that the government could unilaterally terminate all agreements with Dito anytime. However, the Philippine Defense Ministry promised to submit to the Senate any memorandum of understanding signed with the group before the end of November.