Senator Risa Hontiveros urged the Energy Regulatory Commission to verify the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines' declaration of its janitorial and security services expenses, amounting to P8.7 billion, an amount which is passed on to consumers as part of its transmission charge.

Hontiveros told reporters on Thursday that her office received information that NGCP might have been maintaining "few facilities" contrary to the grid's claims that it has been operating at least 583 facilities — with each costing the company P87,000 monthly.

"The actual number may be closer to 260, which is less than half of the claimed 583 facilities. Based on what can be counted on the Philippine Grid Map published by NGCP, there are only 164 substation facilities all over the country," she noted.

Single security guard
Hontiveros also pointed out that many of the grid's operated facilities, including the 77 repeater stations situated on remote mountain tops, require only a single security guard rather than janitorial staff.
"Similarly, over a hundred substation facilities and control centers, which are predominantly inaccessible to the public, may not necessitate around-the-clock janitorial services," she further stressed.
Hontiveros said the ERC and the DoE should not turn a blind eye to the issue.

"To validate the accuracy of these numbers and determine whether NGCP is disseminating misleading information on this issue, the ERC should conduct a comprehensive verification of the physical existence of these facilities and scrutinize the actual contracts governing janitorial and security services," she added.