By: Ronnel W. Domingo - 04:53 AM
February 05, 2020
National Grid Corporation of the
Philippines (NGCP) president and chief executive officer Anthony Almeda answers
queries on the alleged Chinese involvement in running the country’s grid
operation during a hearing at the Senate Monday, February 3, 2020. China has a
40 percent stake in the NGCP. Henzberg Austria/Senate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines — The president
of National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), operator of the country’s
power transmission grid, on Tuesday denied that the company violated the
Philippine Constitution by hiring foreigners for executive and management
positions.
Anthony Almeda, who also sits at the
NGCP board of directors, said in a statement there are no foreigners,
particularly Chinese, among its top executives and managers.
“The company has always been diligent in
implementing its board and management directives [and] does so with utmost
regard for the law, and other rules and regulations,” Almeda said.
He was reacting to claims by some
senators that the NGCP had violated the Constitution by employing foreign
nationals, Wen Bo and Liu Zhiaoquiang, among its top brass. “Messrs. Bo and Liu
left the country in 2018 and 2015, respectively. They held technical positions
in the company,” Almeda clarified.
“We have only four directors from
the State Grid Corporation of China who do not perform executive or management
functions,” he said.
Almeda also reiterated that any
audit of NGCP should be conducted by “the proper regulatory agency, which in
this case is the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC),” noting that the ERC was
an independent body tasked by law and recognized by the concession agreement.
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