MANILA — The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines has reiterated that the presence of Chinese in the country's transmission grid poses no threat to national security amid the strained relationship between China and the Philippines.

NGCP Spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza, in a press conference today, said that while the chairman of the company is indeed Chinese, he does not control the day to day operations of NGCP. While there are 4 Chinese citizens in the board, the 6 other members, representing the majority, are Filipinos.

Alabanza made the clarification after the House of Representatives initiated a review of NGCP's franchise.

One of the issues raised about NGCP is the alleged Chinese influence on the country's transmission grid, which forms a critical part of delivering power to all infrastructure and citizens of the country.

The Philippines and China are currently embroiled in a territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea.

Alabanza also recognized that several transmission projects are indeed delayed but she claimed that the reasons are beyond the control of NGCP.

These include the failure of a regulatory rate reset as well as right of way issues which are brought to court by aggrieved parties.

When asked if there is a shakedown on NGCP as congressmen take turns in hitting the privately owned company, Alabanza said she trusts that the objective is for the improvement of the transmission services.