A HOUSE of Representatives committee on Tuesday mandated the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) to submit a copy of its shareholders’ agreement amid national security concerns over China’s involvement with the state grid operator.

The House legislative franchises panel gave NGCP a week to comply with its order to submit the grid operator’s shareholders’ agreement with congressmen.

A shareholders’ agreement is a document outlining how a company is to be operated, and the rights and obligations it provides to stockholders.

“I feel that the document is very important in this inquiry because we’d like to determine if it’s run, controlled, managed, and operated by the Chinese or Filipinos,” Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace S. Barbers told lawmakers during an inquiry into the NGCP’s performance.

NGCP lawyer Lally C. Ortilla-Mallari, however, said the document is “confidential” as it is currently being used as evidence in an arbitration case.

NGCP’s shareholders’ agreement is the “subject of and has been produced as evidence in an ongoing arbitration proceedings” against the Philippine government’s grid asset management agencies, Ms. Ortilla-Mallari told the committee.

“As evidence in an arbitration proceeding, the shareholders’ agreement is protected by confidentiality under Sec. 23 of Republic Act No. 9285 or the Alternative Dispute Resolution.”

In a statement on Tuesday, the NGCP reiterated it is a Filipino-led company, with 60% of its shares owned by Filipinos.

The consortium comprised of Monte Oro Grid Resources Corporation, Calaca High Power Corporation, and State Grid Corporation of China won the bidding for the operation of the country’s transmission grid for a purchase price of $3.95 billion.

Monte Oro Grid Resources and Calaca own 60% of the company while State Grid Corporation of China holds 40%, meeting the law’s requirement for foreign investors.

Lawmakers in the past years have raised concerns over the State Grid Corp. of China’s involvement with the NGCP. The Chinese company has a 40% stake in the power grid operator. It gained partial ownership of the NGCP in 2007, running it alongside other Philippine companies.

The House also floated the possibility of subjecting NGCP to a “national security review” last week, with Albay Rep. Jose Ma. Clemente S. Salceda saying the state grid operator could’ve violated the Philippine Anti-Dummy Law.

The grid operator also said there is no single button to cut down power in the country amid fears of a power grid attack.

“Decisions are based on established procedures. There are separate procedures for maintenance and emergency cases,” Clark N. Agustin, NGCP Assistant Vice-President for System Operations, said in mixed English and Filipino in the same statement. He noted that there are control centers in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

“If you decide to cut off power for the entire country, there’s no central control point with a single button,” he said.

Mr. Agustin also China is a technical partner, allowed by the government, hence, the use of China-made equipment in its operations.

“There were no midnight deals. The NGCP remains transparent in all its transactions,” he said. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

THE House of Representatives has assigned Marikina Rep. Stella Luz A. Quimbo as officer-in-charge (OIC) of the chamber’s appropriations committee, which was vacated in a surprise move on Monday.

In a statement, House Secretary-General Reginald S. Velasco said Ms. Quimbo would serve as “acting leader” of the House budget panel, performing in an “acting capacity” while congressmen are yet to name a replacement for Party-list Rep. Elizaldy S. Co.

The House floor on Monday declared the chairmanship of the appropriations committee vacant as Mr. Co “stepped down” from the post amid health concerns.

“She (Ms. Quimbo) is serving as the Officer-in-Charge of the committee and will perform the functions of the chairperson in an acting capacity until the House designates a permanent chairperson in accordance with the applicable rules,” said Mr. Velasco.

Ms. Quimbo is the House budget panel’s highest-ranking officer aside from the chairman, serving as senior vice-chairperson of the committee before being designated as OIC.

In an interview with reporters, Ms. Quimbo said the appropriation committee will continue its legislative work without a hitch despite Mr. Co’s departure from the body.

“[The] committee of appropriations will continue to function as before,” she said. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

THE HOUSE ways and means committee is looking at imposing a moratorium on the yearly excise tax rate increase over tobacco products in a bid to strengthen the government’s tax administration on cigarettes and to address smuggling.

“The scheduled yearly increase shall not apply for the period effective January 1, 2026, until December 31, 2026… provided that the 5% increase shall again be imposed beginning January 1, 2026, and every three years thereafter,” according to the unnumbered substitute bill obtained by BusinessWorld.

The Philippines applies an excise tax rate of P63 per pack of 20 cigarettes while vape products are levied with a tax of P109.20 for two milliliter (mL) salt nicotine pods and P63 per 10 mL tax for classic nicotine products, according to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

The BIR has collected P130.91 billion in tobacco excise taxes from January to November 2024, well behind the pace needed to hit the P185.34 billion target last year.

Meanwhile, Albay Rep. Jose Ma. Clemente S. Salceda said the House ways and means panel is looking at rationalizing the excise taxes on tobacco products by levying an additional P8 tax per 2 mL vape pods.

“There will be an attempt to rationalize taxes on vapes and cigarettes,” Mr. Salceda, panel chairman, told reporters. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

A RESOLUTION seeking to expedite the transportation of food and perishable products by allowing delivery trucks to ply the EDSA busway lane at night was filed at the House of Representatives on Monday.

Allowing trucks carrying food products to use the EDSA bus lane from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. would provide an “efficient route” for the transportation of food items and improve supply chain productivity between producers and consumers, said Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee, who filed House Resolution (HR) No. 2162.

“Through this, we can ensure the timely transport of fresh produce, meats, dairy, and other essential food items to Metro Manila and neighboring areas, which will help lower food prices and achieve food security,” he said in a statement.

The EDSA busway is a dedicated lane for the bus rapid transit system of the Philippine capital region. It runs along several Metro Manila cities, serving as a major transportation artery.

“The use of the EDSA busway at night would be able to avoid the peak traffic hours and allow for the efficient movement of goods without disrupting the regular operations of public transportation… during daytime hours,” HR No. 2162 stated. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio