Solon inquires into NGCP’s telecoms links in aftermath of PLDT Twitter account ‘hacking’

Published May 28, 2020, 4:30 PM By Ben Rosario
https://news.mb.com.ph/2020/05/28/solon-inquires-into-ngcps-telecoms-links-in-aftermath-of-pldt-twitter-account-hacking/

The reported hacking of the official Twitter account of PLDT’s customer service has prompted a call for congressional inquiry on the telecommunications links of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, a private corporation tasked to operate and maintain the state-owned power grid.

Deputy Speaker and Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez made this call as he surprised many of his colleagues during the virtual hearing of the House Committee on Good Government when he raised the PLDT hacking incident during an inquiry into controversies triggered by the bill shock experienced by consumers in Meralco service areas.

“I want to know who is behind this incident. I want the NGCP to explain to the public what it is doing with telecommunications when it should concentrate on managing the power grid,” Fernandez later said in a statement to reporters.

The PLDT twitter hackers reportedly warned that rival Globe Telecommunications will be next to be attacked.

The House official said the NGCP, a consortium that partnered with the State Grid Corporation of China, should be able to fully explain where it stands on the telecommunications concerns of the country.

Lawyer Ronald Concepcion, who represented NGCP, said the firm is merely a system operator of the electrical grid.

“Hindi po namin hawak ang telecommunications network. Hindi namin sakop ang pag-hack sa PLDT,” the NGCP official stated. (We are not involved in telecommunications. We have nothing to do with the hacking of PLDT),.

In reaction, Fernandez declared: “I would like to disagree.”

The lawmaker disclosed that in 2013, the firm had sent a letter to the National Telecommunications Commission to allow it to “retain its exclusive use of over the fiber optics facility” of the company.

“This firm is not allowed to engaged in telecommunications but unfortunately there is a showing of its continuing engagement in this kind of business without telling the ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission),” he said.

According to Fernandez allowing NGCP to continue operating a telecommunications network through the fiber optics technology would put local telecom firms at a serious disadvantage.

“This is why there is a need for Congress to look into NGCP’s activities,” he told reporters.