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President of the Senate Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto. File photo / Senate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines – Military camps should be “no-go zones” for the China-backed Dito Telecommunity Corp., Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said Thursday.
In a statement, Recto pointed out that the Philippines has a land area of 30 million hectares and that military installations only occupy a fraction of it.
“Dito can build his sites anywhere on this vast expanse of land, and the government must help them, except at the 25 Navy bases and stations, 53 Army bases, and 17 air bases and stations, which must be declared prohibited areas. for this company, ”said the senator.
“The military is not a large owner whose properties are crucial to the operations of a telecommunications company. Why insist on building on military real estate? “he added.
Recto proposed that Dito consider instead, if health and environmental regulations allow, build his towers on the country’s nearly 50,000 public schools and state college campuses and “pay rent in cash and in kind. [or] in free broadband for students. “
Earlier, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana revealed to lawmakers that he had signed an agreement with Dito that would allow the company to build cell sites within Philippine military camps.
But according to Recto, the armed forces no longer need a “complementary land leasing business to increase their budget”, as they have “enjoyed a more favored agency status, as stated in the annual national budget.”
“Even more so if the tenant is owned by 40 percent of a foreign company owned by the state whose main loyalty, according to the laws of that country, is his government,” added the legislator, referring to Dito.
“I’m not yet ready to fully subscribe to the suspicions that having them inside these national security complexes is like letting in an electronic Trojan horse. But prevention is better than cure ”, he added.
Dito Telecommunity, formerly known as Mislatel, is a consortium led by Davao-based businessman Dennis Uy, which included Chelsea Logistics and Infrastructure Holdings Corp., Udenna Corp. and China Telecom.
JPV
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