[ad_1]
Manila, Philippines – The telecommunications company, Dito Telecommunity, has hired former military personnel in hopes of easing and even erasing concerns about espionage over its Chinese partner amid a territorial dispute in the Western Philippine Sea.
During a press conference on Thursday, Dito’s chief technology officer, Rodolfo Santiago, revealed that at least eight other former officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were working for the company and seeking to hire more. Santiago, one of Dito’s first employees and himself a retired major general, said the company had hired a former colonel, Roleen del Prado, to lead cybersecurity.
“I know the guy’s reputation and experience,” Santiago said, adding that he had personally worked with Del Prado, who participated in the conceptualization and design of Dito’s cybersecurity system.
This was recently launched in conjunction with the company’s network operations center.
Concerns about China’s espionage continue to weigh on Dito, which is backed by Davao-based businessman Dennis Uy’s group and China Telecom Corp. Ltd., a Chinese company listed on the Hong Kong and New York stock exchanges. . It also has subsidiaries in the United States and Europe.
China’s mandate
During Dito’s franchise hearings this week, senators pointed to Chinese laws that oblige their companies to spy for the government when ordered.
Dito’s administrative director, Adel Tamano, said AFP agents had sworn to protect the country.
He revealed that seven former military personnel worked in Dito’s division managing physical security.
“His job description was to protect the territorial integrity of this country,” Tamano said. “That is something that is in their DNA. That is why we do not hesitate to get people from [AFP]. “
In addition to staff, Dito previously announced that it had chosen US cybersecurity firm Fortinet as its primary cybersecurity provider.
The establishment of a new telecommunications company is an important project of the Duterte administration to improve the quality of telecommunications in the country.
According to Santiago, Dito plans to complete its first technical audit on January 7 next year and launch commercial services to paying subscribers in March. This comes as PLDT and Globe aggressively implement upgrades and a new telecommunications infrastructure.
Santiago said it expected Dito to face initial challenges in gaining clients given its relatively limited coverage at the start of business operations. “The better service will make up for our deficiencies in terms of coverage and therefore remain attractive to the Philippine public,” he added.
Read next
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and more than 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download from 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For comments, complaints or inquiries, please contact us.
[ad_2]
