Even the company that will build towers in the camps is owned by China, Bayan Muna naked

MANILA, Philippines – Party list group Bayan Muna on Thursday questioned the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Department of National Defense (DND) whether they had prior knowledge that the subcontractor carrying out the construction of towers within the military camps comes from China.

In a statement, Bayan Muna representative Ferdinand Gaite and party chairman Neri Colmenares said that Leo Technologies Infrastructure, the company that builds towers for third-party telecommunications player Dito Telecommunity within military camps, is a subsidiary. China Bester Telecom based in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

“We were surprised when we discovered that Leo Technologies Infrastructure was reported as a subsidiary of China Bester Telecom of Wuhan, China. Many did not know about this when the DND-DITO agreement to install towers in military camps was approved, ”said Gaite.

“We are asking the AFPs if they knew that the very company that will build the towers in their camps is wholly owned by a telecommunications company in China,” he added.

State-owned China

Dito’s agreement with DND to build cell sites inside military installations was purportedly intended to avoid technical problems caused by terrorist or communist attacks.

However, this raised concerns from critics who speculated that it could be a way for China to spy on the country’s military operations, even before it was revealed that Leo Technologies was involved in the construction of the towers, considering that state-owned China Telecom has a participation in Dito.

Dito is a consortium led by Davao-based businessman Dennis Uy, through his company Udenna Corp., and China Telecom, Chelsea Logistics and Infrastructure Holdings Corp.

“While we have criticized DITO for being partially owned by China Telecom, we were surprised that the company that will build towers in the military camps is in fact fully owned by a Chinese company in Wuhan. Our impression before was that Leo Technology has no connection with China ”, explained Gaite.

Meanwhile, Colmenares noted that China Telecom’s 40 percent stake in Dito could be higher than projected due to the loans the latter obtained from China Telecom.

“The installation of DITO towers in camps and, indeed, DITO’s entry into our telecommunications sector is a major threat to the sovereignty and security of the Philippines. China Telecom owns at least 40% of DITO, and DITO’s $ 500 million loan from the Chinese banking sector heralds greater control by China over the company beyond its 40% stake, ”it said in the same statement.

“Now, we are informed that the company actually building these towers is wholly owned by China. In fact, we discovered that China Bester had already been contracted to build fiber optic home networks in the Philippines. Worse still, China Energy Equipment Co., another Chinese company contracted by DITO to build its towers, is also a wholly-owned company by China, ”he added.

Intrusions

Accusations of Chinese intrusion into the Philippines have grown under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, who sought to repair ties between Manila and Beijing that were severed by international protests by the previous administration.

While Duterte claimed that it is simply a result of the independent foreign policy that he chose to adapt. But many observers found that China was being more aggressive in its stance in the Western Philippine Sea, and independent studies found that more Chinese ships, said to be part of the Chinese military, are entering the region.

China’s influence in the country also increased as several of the administration’s Build, Build, Build projects were built or financed by companies from the Asian superpower.

Colmenares, a staunch critic of the Duterte government, urged the president to act on the issue and stop favoring China. This, despite security officials such as national security adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. assuring the public that there is nothing to worry about cell site facilities within the camps.

AFP, for its part, assured that there are measures to avoid possible spies.

‘Bow policy’

But for Colmenares, the mere fact that Chinese companies enter military camps while tensions are high in the disputed Western Philippine Sea region remains dangerous.

“This is dangerous and Pres. Duterte should stop favoring Chinese companies, especially in our very important industries in the Philippines. […] China’s influence on the Philippine economy and politics will grow as Pres. Duterte continues his policy of reverence with a country that has trampled on our sovereign rights in the Western Philippine Sea and attacked our sovereignty and security, ”Colmenares said.

“Pres. Duterte’s insistence on minimizing threats from China, justifying Chinese aggression in the Western Philippine Sea, including his attempts to abandon and compromise our Tribunal’s victory over China shows his submission to China and points out that the protection he provides to the Chinese companies will continue, “he added.

EDV

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