Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 3) — During the Senate Energy Committee hearing Monday, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) accidentally revealed that it has experienced cyber attacks “a hundred times.”
The senate inquiry was tackling the national security implications of the NGCP’s operations and its refusal to go through a full audit when NGCP Chief Executive Officer Anthony Almeda unintentionally admitted that the corporation has been attacked “for weeks.”
“On the cyber attack, for the past few weeks that we’re here, we’ve been attacked a hundred times. As we speak, it’s from the outside,” he said.
Almeda did not specify where the attacks were coming from, nor did he name a culprit of the security breach.
Senators Richard Gordon and Sherwin Gatchalian then further emphasized the call for the grid corporation to undergo a full audit by the Department of Energy after hearing the incident of cyberspace attack from Almeda.
“That is the point here, Mr. Almeda. You are attacked or detected. These are the things that the government shouldknow. Unang-una, saan nanggagaling? Pangalawa, bakit?” Gatchalian said.
[Translation: That is the point here Mr. Almeda. You are attacked or detected. These are the things that the government should know. First, where is it coming from? Second, why?]
Furthermore, Gordon warned to revoke the franchise of the NGCP citing that the Chief Technical Officer of the corporation is a Chinese national named Wen Bo.
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Gatchalian said the power grid company was granted a franchise with the basis that all executive officers are Filipinos.
Having foreigners in executive positions is a ground for cancellation of the franchise, Gordon said.
The NGCP was granted legislative franchise in 2008 to be the sole power transmission line in charge of supplying electricity all throughout the Philippines.
