Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday urged the National Security Council (NSC) to immediately conduct a security audit of China-owned Dito Telecommunity Corporation ahead of its commercial rollout on March 8.
“Our worries on Dito telco are yet ro be resolved. While the bullying of China over West Philippine Sea is ongoing amid the pandemic, we rolled out a red carpet for a company directly reporting to China. This is worrying. NSC should execute a security audit for Dito. It’s the least it can do,” Hontiveros said.
The senator added that NSC must also tap an independent security auditor, similar to how the National Telecommunications Commission conducted its technical audit of Dito. On Monday, Feb. 22, NTC announced that the third telco passed its first technical audit.
“If there is a technical audit, there should also be a security audit. Knowing that Dito is safe from China’s incursions is as vital as knowing Dito’s technical capabilities,” Hontiveros said, reiterating that ChinaTel, which has a 40 percent stake in Dito, is 100 percent owned by the Chinese state.
During the Senate hearing on Dito’s franchise in December, the NSC admitted that it did not have a cyberdefense doctrine that could fight against cyberattacks.
Hontiveros earlier questioned why Dito should be allowed franchise when the country’s cyberdefenses were down.
The senator had also flagged a China-based hacking group, code name “Naikon,” that has been carrying out an espionage campaign against governments in the Asia Pacific, including the Philippines.
“The concrete strategy of NSC on the issue of cybersecurity. is alarming,” said Hontiveros.
She noted that China could easily take advantage of this.
“Not unless China finally respects and honors that our territories in the WPS are ours and ours alone, every other business negotiation it has in our country will remain suspicious,” she added.