Hontiveros to NGCP: Explain alleged P8.7-B expenses for janitorial services

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday asked the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to provide a formal explanation on the alleged P8.7-billion expenses on janitorial services.

“’Yung talagang lumundag sa papel, billions of pesos para sa janitorial services…Marami bang dumi sa NGCP? Ganun kamahal kailangang gastusin sa janitorial services, samantalang super delayed ‘yung mga proyektong dapat isinasagawa nila sa grid ayon sa kanilang prangkisa,” Hontiveros said in a press conference.

“Super mahal pa rin at hindi 100 percent ang access ng mga FIlipino consumers at pamilya sa kuryente. Standing ‘yung paghingi ko ng pormal na pagpapaliwanag ng NGCP. Ba’t ganyan kamahal ang janitorial services nila,” she added.

(What stood out in the documents were the billions of pesos for janitorial services. Are there a lot of dirt in the NGCP? Why do you need to spend that much on janitorial services when your project obligations under your franchise are still delayed? That’s too costly and Filipino consumers can’t easily access electricity. My demand for formal explanation from the NGCP still stands.)

The lawmaker first raised this issue during the Senate finance committee hearing on the proposed budget of the Department of Energy, Energy Regulatory Commission and other energy-related government agencies.

“Gusto ko rin sanang malaman kung bakit isa sa napakalaking expense item ng NGCP ay ang P8.7 billion para sa security and janitorial services. Napakalaki po, major expense item sa financial statement ng corporation, kasunod lang sa repairs and maintenance,” Hontiveros said during the hearing last Friday.

"Bakit consumer ang dapat kumarga nito sa pamamagitan ng transmission charge?” she asked.

While NGCP is a public utility owned by private corporations, it has the obligation to report its expenditures to Congress as the legislative department is the one that grants their franchise.

GMA News Online asked NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza to respond to Hontiveros' remarks but she has yet to comment as of posting time.—LDF, GMA Integrated News