Think tanks and advocacy groups are sounding the alarm over potential national security risks associated with the proposed Konektadong Pinoy Act, even as the bill continues to garner widespread support.
This developed as financial and trade institutions are rallying for the bill’s passing, noting that loosening the country’s restrictions on telecommunications players is key to advancing the Philippines’ digital infrastructure and coverage.
“While these are objectives that need urgent action, the bill, upon closer scrutiny, threatens to compromise national security, undermine the integrity of the country’s radio frequency spectrum, which is a critical and finite natural resource,” CitizenWatch co-convenor Orlando Oxales said in his column posted on the organization’s Facebook page.
SB 2699, if passed, will eliminate the need for congressional franchise for telecommunication companies, which diminishes the regulatory powers of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and would lead to the exploitation of the country’s spectrum allocation, CitizenWatch said.
Oxales said the bill would open up security issues more than help the country improve its internet reach and speeds.
He related the bill to opening up the country to Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs) or online gaming, which resulted in security concerns.
“This concern is not unfounded, given our recent experience with the liberalization of online gaming, which led to various social, economic, and security issues,” Oxales said.
Senator Risa Hontiveros earlier said that some POGO operations have possible ties to hacking and surveillance of government websites due to the tension between the Philippines and China over the disputed islands in the West Philippine Sea after the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) reported a series of hacking incidents traced from Chinese IP addresses.
Oxales said opening up the country’s telco space and, at the same time, reducing the regulatory powers of NTC is concerning. He said rapidly allowing more telecom players in the country would be difficult to monitor, as some might not have the country’s best interest business at heart.
Oxales also said that government efforts should be centered on improving internet connections by enhancing NTC’s capabilities and ensuring that it has the tools to oversee the evolving telecommunications landscape.
