Senator Risa Hontiveros on Friday insisted that the agreement entered into by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Dito Telecommunity Corp. is a major cause for concern to all Filipinos despite the telecommunication firm’s assurance that safeguards are in place to prevent espionage.
“The statements of AFP and Dito Telco seeking to reassure the public that safeguards are in place with respect to the China-owned cell sites in our military camps cannot and should not completely put the fears of the Filipino people to rest,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
“Dito’s chief administrative officer claims that the public has no cause for concern because its agreement with the military is similar to that of the other two telcos, Globe and Smart,”
“However, unlike Dito, the foreign investors of these two telcos are not state-owned corporations of countries with espionage laws that oblige their companies to cooperate in Intelligence gathering,” the senator pointed out.
Hontiveros said Chinatel, one of the investors of Dito, is 100 percent owned by the Chinese government. Citing the country’s experience with Chinese-backed local companies, she said warned such entities have been reluctant to submit themselves to inspection and audit.
“Just look at the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), which is 40 percent owned by the Chinese government,” she said, citing NGCP’s refusal to be audited by the government.
“As such, we must remain vigilant. Since the AFP has, in the spirit of full transparency, expressed willingness to subject its agreement with Dito to public scrutiny, I believe that the Senate should go on with the probe so the matter can be given the attention it deserves,” she stressed.
Hontiveros earlier filed a resolution asking the Senate committee on national defense to investigate the AFP-Dito deal, which allowed Dito to build cell sites inside military bases, citing the national security risks it poses to the Philippines.