Gov't urged to sack 16 Chinese experts in NGCP

A labor group claims that the Chinese experts working at the National Grid Corp.of the Philippines have installed fiber optics to the command and control of the entire grid without the appropriate franchise from Congress. 

MANILA, Philippines - The 16 Chinese experts working at the country’s National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) should be replaced by Filipino experts, labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines - Nagkaisa (TUCP-Nagkaisa) said on Monday.

The foreigners' Alien Employment Permit will expire on July 31.

"We have a very delicate situation rife with national security interest issue where a very critical and a very strategic government facility is in the hands of and controlled by foreigners. We would like to see this corrected as quickly as possible by having the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Labor and Employment ensure the immediate termination of their work permits immediately and not allow it renewed," TUCP-Nagkaisa executive director Louie Corral said.

He said the labor group expects DOE to ensure that operations manual for the NGCP has been translated into English from Chinese in time for the transition.

"It's scandalous and irresponsible for us to have allowed that the NGCP operations manual - the command and control of the entire electricity system - to be hostaged to a foreign language and hostaged to foreign experts," Corral said.

TUCP-Nagkaisa spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said the labor group is also urging the Energy Regulatory Commission and the National Telecommunication Commission to conduct due diligence in the integrity of the entire NGCP transmission system.

"We received a reliable information alleging State Grid of China have installed fiber optics attached to the command and control of the entire grid without the appropriate franchise from the House of Representaives. This poses, we have a serious national security concern given the current state of play of China-Philippine relations," Tanjusay said.

The Philippines and China are now locked in an arbitration before a tribunal at The Hague, Netherlands in connection with West Philippine Sea dispute. - By Dennis Carcamo (philstar.com)