Kiko Pangilinan urges Lorenzana to cancel deal allowing DITO facilities in military camps

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Friday urged Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to cancel the deal which will allow China-backed DITO Telecommunity Corporation to construct facilities inside military camps.

"The Secretary should rescind the deal as it compromises the security of our citizens and our country as a whole, especially security of our data, which is the currency of this century," Pangilinan said in a statement.

"We have serious doubts that we have in our possession the most modern technology and equipment to monitor cyber security threats. Kaya dapat pawalang-bisa na 'yung kontrata," he added.

During a House budget hearing on Tuesday, Lorenzana said he has signed an agreement with DITO Telco allowing it to construct facilities and install equipment inside military camps, as he claimed that the Senate did not have any suggestion or complaint when it previously asked for a copy of the deal.

As early as November last year, Pangilinan had raised the "spying" concern in this deal between the Armed Force and DITO. He, however, did not object during that time.

"There is really a need to ensure that we have the highest safeguard in place with respect to this memorandum of agreement. I’m not placing any objection to the agreement, I would like the DND and AFP to consider these serious concerns,” Pangilinan previously said.

DITO, formerly Mislatel Consortium, is made up of Davao businessman Dennis Uy’s Udenna Corporation (35%), Udenna’s subsidiary Chelsea Logistics Holdings Inc. (25%), and Chinese state-owned China Telecommunications Corporation (40%).

Amid concerns on national security, the consortium assured that it will never obtain classified information

But Pangilinan said the Philippines should learn from the prudence of other countries like the US and Britain which took action against possible spying by banning and reconsidering business deals with China’s largest telco and phone manufacturer Huawei Technologies just two months ago.

"That should have been an eye-opener for us. Dapat natuto rin tayo sa karanasan nila," he said. "This deal was approved last year but recent developments in the past three or four months give us serious reasons to revisit the approval."

Further, the senator emphasized the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea.

"Pero ano ginagawa natin sa usaping ito? Parang meron tayong kapitbahay na nang-aangkin ng ating bakuran at papapasukin pa natin para magbantay ng bakuran natin," he added.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto also said allowing Dito to enter military camps is like letting in a "Trojan horse."

National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, meanwhile, downplayed the possibility of espionage.

"Kalokohan 'yan, anong klaseng spy? Masyado kayong ano eh pupunta sa loob eh under control nga natin 'yung ano, 'yung tower nila e di dapat matuwa pa tayo. Ako nag-recommend ako na ano na lahat ng eskwelahan, lahat ng munisipyo, lahat ng barangay, dapat tayuan ng tower," Esperon said.

The Armed Forces is still assessing how many and which military camps will be installed with telecommunication facilities, its spokesperson Major General Edgard Arevalo said.—AOL, GMA News