In the Senate’s discussion of the congressional franchise renewal proposal of the third telco DITO Telecommunity, China’s donation of COVID-19 vaccines and the vaccination of Presidential Security Group personnel were highlighted.
In the discussion, Senator Richard Gordon said he was concerned about the surveillance and espionage that China could do through DITO Telecom in which China Telecom has a 40 percent stake owned by the Chinese government.
Senator Grace Poe, who is chairman of the Public Service Committee and defends the franchise, replied that any business, even in a developed country, is not guaranteed to be without leakage.
But he said it is clear that China’s business is in the third telco and that China and its Filipino business partners know that the government can shut them down if they monitor and spy through the third telco.
Here, Poe said that China is unlikely to do anything bad to the Philippines because if they wanted to, they could have done so when they donated COVID-19 vaccines which were distributed to health workers, soldiers, and police, and Presidential Security Group personnel guarding President Rodrigo Duterte. They would have been the first casualties.
Gordon replied that he appreciates China’s gift but said that the smuggling of COVID-19 vaccines for PSG personnel, which are known to come from China, is dangerous and a violation of regulations.
He added that the vaccination of PSG personnel was a dangerous violation because it was not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
He is said to have known someone who was vaccinated in November and December with the vaccine as given to PSG but still became COVID and died recently.
Discussion of DITO Telecom franchise renewal led to issue of espionage, vaccine
DITO said they have already built 1,900 cell sites, which will cover 37% of the population. Of that number, DITO achieved its promise by conducting the selection process as a new telco player.
DITO Telecom services were made available on March 8, 2021, in the following areas:
Metro Cebu
Carcar
Cebu City
Consolacion
Danao
Liloan
Mandaue
Minglanilla
Naga
San Fernando
Talisay
Metro Davao
Panabo
Tagum
Carmen
Davao City
Digos