Senator Risa Hontiveros raised concerns over the security risks that may arise from China Telecom's stake in Dito Telecommunity Corp. which is set to commercially roll out next month.
Hontiveros pointed out the lack of defense the National Security Council put in place to address the country's cybersecurity concerns.
“The National Security Council admitted that it had not yet–as of our last hearing on Dito telco’s franchise–established a cyber defense doctrine to guide our intelligence community in combatting cybersecurity threats,” said Hontiveros.
“With China having a 40-percent stake in Dito, our unpreparedness for potential cyber threats does not inspire confidence in the telco’s rollout this March, especially since it continues to harass our fisher folk and refuses to have its vessels boarded within our territorial waters in the West Philippine Sea,” she said.
Hontiveros mentioned Dito’s deal with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to install cell towers in military camps.
She said she was hoping the issue would be given focus and carefully watched by the Senate, including the other threats that may be triggered by the entry of the new telecom player.
"I do hope that before Dito rolls out, we in the Senate can scrutinize the potential national risks further,” Hontiveros said.
Senator Grace Poe, in previous hearings, also expressed dismay over the alleged failure of the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the NSC to assure the Philippines’ ability to combat cybersecurity warfare.
Poe also questioned the preparedness of Dito-Chinatel to fulfill its commitment over the first five years to deliver services in the country.