DITO will compensate AFP as it builds facilities in military camps —Arevalo

DITO Telecommunity Corporation will also compensate the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) amid plans to build telecommunication facilities in military camps under a co-location agreement with the agency, AFP spokesperson Major General Edgard Arevalo said Thursday.

In an interview on Dobol B sa News TV, Arevalo said that DITO will provide non-monetary compensation to the AFP for the protection it will be able to provide to the cell sites.

“Bibigyan naman po tayo ng karampatang compensation… or non-monetary compensation in terms of training atsaka po equipment. ‘Yan naman po ang magsisilbing kabayaran,” Arevalo said.

On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced that he has signed the co-location agreement with the China-backed corporation.

The military spokesperson said that the telecommunications corporation had also requested for protection from terrorist groups.

“’Yan pong mga teroristang grupo kagaya ng New People’s Army, ginagamit po nilang lakasan ‘yang mga telco na ‘yan, mga telco sa paninikil. Dahil kung hindi sinusunog, pinapasabog nila ‘yung kanilang mga cell sites,” Arevalo said.

“So malaking bagay na ‘yun pong mga towers and cell sites nila ay nandoon sa loob ng kampo for protection na puwede nating mabigay dahil humingi rin po sila, actually, ng tulong sa Armed Forces,” he added.

Senator Francis Pangilinan has raised security concerns over the agreement, especially because DITO’s partner China Telecommunications Corporation is state-owned.

Meanwhile, DITO said that it will never obtain classified information from the AFP through the telecommunication facilities.

This was echoed by Arevalo, who said that the AFP has taken all necessary measures to protect the country’s national security.

“So ibig sabihin po nito, kumbaga, lahat na po ng mga pag-aaral, lahat na po ng pag-de-deliberate dito sa issue na ito ay ginawa na po namin,” he said.

“[T]ayo po mismo sa AFP with our ICT and IT experts ay mag… institute po tayo ng necessary measures upang sa ganon naman upang mapagingatan natin ‘yung ating national security ay hindi naman po mag leak o ma-infiltrate kagaya ng pinangangambahan ng ating mga kababayan” he added.

Meanwhile, Arevalo said that he does not have information on the number and the location of the cell sites and towers which will be installed.

“But definitely that will come out in the open soon at ang kinakailangan po we will give you appropriate briefing din diyan,” he said. — Joahna Lei Casilao/BM, GMA News