Philippines spy agency signs cyber-security accord with NGCP which is 40% owned by China

DAVAO CITY – The National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) has signed an agreement with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to protect the Philippines against any attacks in cyberspace, particularly on energy infrastructure.

President Ferdinand Marcos even witnessed the signing of the memorandum of understanding between NICA and NGCP on March 13 in Malacanang Palace. “Since the NGCP is in charge of a very critical aspect of the daily lives of Filipinos, when it comes to war strategy, “we do – we conduct our wars in the same manner that we conduct our business,” Marcos said.

He even raised the parallelism between the previous global wars and industrial development at the time with the current advancements in business through cyberspace, adding, “And that is why we are continuing to shore up our defenses when it comes to cyber-security.”

 “And since NGCP is a critical part of our security, of our ability to continue to function as a society, then this is an important day because now we have made more robust the defenses against any possible attacks on our power systems,” Marcos said.

Marcos said the signing of the memorandum is a very good step as the country develops its cyber systems to secure collected data and information and prevent external actors from using them against the Philippines.

Under the agreement, NICA is tasked with integrating collected intelligence information from various government instrumentality, make an analysis, assess the data, and recommend actions in safeguarding NGCP’s transmission assets.

The NGCP, on the other hand, can share vital information on energy-related security issues and provide technical advice to the NICA. Through the memorandum, NICA commits to supply the NGCP with intelligence information to support the protection of power transmission assets that NGCP operates and maintains across the country, while it commits to provide technical assistance to NICA to support and strengthen its cyber-security capability.

The NGCP is a privately owned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s state-owned power grid, an interconnected system that transmits gigawatts of power in thousands of volts from generators to consumers. On the other hand, NICA is the primary intelligence gathering and analysis arm of the government carrying out overt, covert, and clandestine intelligence activities. NICA directs, coordinates, and integrates all government activities involving national intelligence and serves as the focal point for the preparation of intelligence data of local and foreign situations which serve as inputs and guide to the day-to-day decision and policy-making functions of the President as well as other entities. 

It was unclear whether Marcos was aware that China controls four of the ten NGCP board seats and represented by Zhu Guangchao, the Vice Chief Engineer and Director General of International Cooperation Department of the SGCC; Shan Shewu, Director General of the Philippine Office of SGCC and Board member of State Grid International Development; Liu Ming, the SGCC Chief Representative of China's Africa Office; and Liu Xinhua, an engineer with a master's degree and a topnotcher in the CPA Board Examination in China.

And Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea continues against Filipino Coast Guard vessels and Filipino fishermen. (Mindanao Examiner)