Press Release
September 12, 2019

Statement of Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Chinese telco in military camps

The Philippine government has not only allowed the Chinese telco on our soil, it has laid the red carpet for Dito Telecoms (formerly Mislatel) inside our military camps.

Sa isyu nga ng POGOs (Philippine offshore gaming operators) na malapit lang sa military camps, na-alarma na ang mga opisyal ng DND sa potential security concern, paano pa itong nasa loob na mismo ng mga kampo? Our security and foreign policies have become so absurd.

Why build these telco towers inside camps in the first place? Are there no other available sites for their towers? How much are they paying the government for these? How can we be assured that there will be no breach of national security and respect for privacy of communications and correspondence? Do we have guarantees that they will not obtain crucial information to the detriment of Filipinos? What happened to the cyber security audit of the DICT and the NTC on this third player?

Can we ask for a copy of this MOA between Dito and the AFP?

The planned installation of electronic communications inside our military camps raises fears of electronic espionage and interference given the record of some Chinese firms for engaging in this illegal activity. This fear is especially acute given that China's National Intelligence Law from 2017 requires Chinese companies to "support, assist, and cooperate with the state intelligence work."

Atin ang Pilipinas -- the land, the waters, and the air. Huwag natin i-surrender ito, kasama na ang naipanalong arbitral ruling sa para sa controlling stake sa joint exploration ng West Philippine Sea. We should be vigilant and keep watch as our safety and security are at stake.

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