No espionage fears from Dito Telecommunity deal – AFP's Arevalo

While Dito Telecommunity Corporation was set to build telecommunications facilities in military camps under a co-location agreement with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the military would have safeguards in place which would protect the camps' security.

“The AFP has already put up naman appropriate safeguards to address that particular concern of security and data security in telecommunications,” AFP spokesperson Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo said on Sunday.

Arevalo emphasized that the deal only allowed the telco to build its facilities in military camps, and  that AFP’s communication facilities and Dito’s would be in separate locations within the camps.

“Basically what we are providing is the venue kung saan we will be able to lend them yung relative security na maibibigay nung sinasasabing memorandum of agreement na yun at yung mga locations,”  Arevalo explained.

Thus it would be the AFP that would be suggesting possible communication facility locations for Dito in the camps.

Arevalo added that the deal with the telco had also passed security checks put in place by government regulatory agencies that were knowledgeable on telecommunication operations.

“Kagaya ng Securities And Exchange Commission, I understand, at ang National Telecommunications Commission,” said the general.

The AFP would also be partnering with telcos Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) and Globe Telecom (Globe) in a deal similar with Dito.

“So itong ating itinutulong sa Dito Telecommunity is not exclusive sa kanila,” Arevalo pointed out.

Critics had earlier warned against the Dito deal over espionage fears given that the telco was a partnership with state-owned China Telecom Corp. Ltd. — Joviland Rita/DVM, GMA News