AFP to tap independent cybersecurity team to audit, make unannounced visits on DITO towers

The Armed Forces of the Philippines will be tapping a third party cybersecurity audit team and conducting unannounced visits to DITO Telecommunity facilities inside military camps to ensure that the national security will not be compromised.

“Nakasaad ito sa memorandum of agreement na ang AFP, being the host, ay pwedeng kumuha ng third party cybersecurity team na magsagawa para sa cybersecurity audit sa mga facilities,” AFP spokesperson Major General Edgard Arevalo said in a virtual press briefing.

“Meron ding kapangyarihan ang host, meaning ang AFP, na magsagawa ng unannounced na physical and cybersecurity inspection sa mga pasilidad na ito, sa sariling kagustuhan ng host, hindi na kailangang hingin ang permiso and unannounced pwedeng gawin,” he added.

He also said AFP has full access to all the servers and visibility in the facilities.

National security concerns have been raised against the co-location agreement between AFP and DITO as the latter is a consortium composed of Udenna Corporation and China Telecommunications Corporation (China Telecom), a Chinese state-owned company tasked with building and deploying DITO’s actual telecommunications infrastructure.

The critics earlier mentioned that Chinese corporations are obligated to support state intelligence-gathering efforts under Article 7 of China’s National Intelligence Law, which requires that "any organization or citizen shall support, assist, and cooperate with the state intelligence work in accordance with the law."

Senator Risa Hontiveros said Chinese corporations cannot refuse to assist such acts of espionage, since China’s Counter-Espionage Law requires that "when the state security organ investigates and understands the situation of espionage and collects relevant evidence, the relevant organizations and individuals shall provide it truthfully and may not refuse."

Arevalo said DITO has already made an assurance that it will never obtain classified information and such violation will result to filing of charges and termination of the co-location agreement.

“Merong garantiya na ang DITO na wala silang gagawing pag-espiya o pagpayag sa ibang partido na affiliated sa kanila na gamitin kung anumang info na makukuha nila, lalo lalo na yung matters of classified information, at ang anumang paglabag dito ay pwedeng maging legal na kaso at batayan na materminate ang MOA,” he said.

He further said that they will not make it easy for anyone to get classified information and safeguards have been put to address it.

“Hindi namin hahayaan na ma-compromise, mali ‘yung tanong ng iba na we make it easy for them to listen to our conversations. Hindi pwedeng sabihin na we are making it easy, we are putting all the safeguards, we are making it difficult for them,” he said.

“Our commitment, of course, lalong lalo na kung pinag-uusapan ay national security, napakahalaga niyan sa atin kaya tayo will surely commit to exercise due diligence sa paglalagay ng cellsite o towers sa ating kampo,” he added.

He said stringent requirement and security measures have to be followed before DITO can set up their towers inside the military camps.

“Kung sila ay papasok, kakailanganin ‘yung kumpletong listahan ng mga tao na papasok pati mga equipment na dadalhin nila, kumpletong inventory isa-submit po ‘yan prior to the access na hinihingi at titignan kung naka-comply sa security clearance,” said Arevalo.

“Kung tapos na at kailangang bisitahin, imaintain, o ayusin, ganun pa rin ang procedure na susundin. Kailangn may request, may security clerance na ipo-provide before the date, kailangan may kumpletong pangalan, listahan pati kagamitan ng ipapasok o kukunin,” he added.

The military spokesperson said not all requests can be granted as they need to study first if the tower to be constructed will not impede in their operations or signal. He said soil composition in the area will also be taken into consideration.

“Hindi lahat ‘pag nag-request ay mapagbibigyan, titignan kung ang istrakturang itatayo mo ba ay hindi makakaimpede sa operations ng Armed Forces o sa signal natin mismo. ‘Yung soil condition sa pagtatayuan, iyan ba ay akma sa strukturang itatayo mo,” he said.

“Bawat isang cellsite o tower ay individual ang paga-assess diyan, not only communication security kundi physical security,” he further said.—AOL, GMA News