Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 3) – A group of leftist lawmakers is seeking to look into China's 40 percent capital ownership of the Philippines' power grid.

Bayan Muna Reps. Carlos Zarate, Ferdinand Gaite, and Eufemia Cullamat had filed House Resolution (HR) 558 urging the House Committee on Energy and the House Committee on National Defense and Security to conduct a joint investigation on the issue to review the economic and security implications of allowing China's stake in the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP).

The NGCP serves as the country's sole power transmission line in charge of supplying electricity throughout Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

"Given that China is currently aggressive over its claims on the West Philippine Sea depicted through its intrusions to Philippine territory and disrespect to Philippine sovereignty, the surrender of the control over Philippine power system and other public utilities is a clear threat to Philippine national security," Bayan Muna said in its resolution.

"It is the primordial duty of Congress, in the exercise of its legislative and oversight functions to ensure the safety and security of our people and to provide mechanism to hold responsible officials and employees accountable at all times," it added.

The lawmakers also echoed "serious concerns" over the possibility that the power grid can be operated remotely though a so-called monitoring and control system supervisory control and data acquisition, with the system operating all the way from Nanjing, China.

It was former Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio who earlier raised that China may shut down the country's power grid by "injecting a malware or software" in the system once they get to maintain it.

Members of the Senate have previously filed their own version of the resolution to look into the compliance of NGCP on its mandate to provide electricity in the country.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said in a television interview on Wednesday that the Senate will conduct a public inquiry on the issue on the second or third week of December.

"We are targeting second to third week of December but we are in close coordination with the National Security Council because they are the most important stakeholder in giving us information about the national security concerns of this asset," Gatchalian said.

In an exclusive interview with CNN Philippines last Friday, President Rodrigo Duterte said "there will be a quarrel" if China shuts off the Philippines' power grid.

"I will tell China, ‘You know China, if you do that then there will be a quarrel. I mean not overcome you but I said you will receive from me a mouthful. Then I'll go to other places and look for help," Duterte said.

The Chinese government earlier maintained that the public officials' concerns on security were "completely groundless."

"We hope certain individuals in the Philippines will look at cooperation with China in an open, objective and impartial manner. There is no need to worry about the sky falling or imagine trouble where there is none," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said last Thursday.

Article XII, Section 11 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that participation of foreign investors on any public utility shall be "limited to their proportionate share in its capital."

The Anti-Dummy Law, on the other hand, prohibits any foreign country from intervening in the management, operation and administration or control of corporations where the Filipino people have a 60 percent stake.