Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 16) – The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Tuesday assured that it will continuously assess the soon-to-be installed cell towers by China-backed Dito Telecommunity inside military camps.
“Continuous po ito (This is continuous). This is not a one-time performance audit or security assessment,” said DICT Secretary Gringo Honasan II during the deliberation of the House of Representatives on the proposed budget by the agency for 2021.
“By law, your department is required to submit periodic reports to congress about the status of our cybersecurity efforts,” he added.
Concerns on possible security breaches and spying were raised by some after the Department of National Defense signed a deal allowing Dito to put up cell towers inside military camps.
Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines Spokesperson MGen. Edgard Arevalo allayed the concerns saying that possible security risk by the towers is “very low.”
Honasan added that DICT has considered the security, transfer of power, and safety in the said deal between the government and the telecommunication company.
“So let me make an unconditional guarantee that DICT will exercise its due diligence in looking at these variables para naman protected yung public and national interests (so that the public and national interests are protected),” he said.
Last month, House approved on third and final reading the bill granting Dito a 25-year franchise as the country’s third major telco player.
Dito is expected to start its commercial services in March 2021.
