Dito Telecom says it will ‘look after interests of the Filipino’

Dito Telecommunity Corporation on Sunday said that it will look after the interests of the Filipino, after lawmakers expressed security concerns regarding the company's China-backed partner.

"Dito is a Filipino company and will forever look after the interests of the Filipino. We value transparency and integrity in our business," the company said in an emailed statement.

The statement comes after Senator Francis Pangilinan raised security concerns on Dito, given that it counts as its shareholder state-owned China Telecommunications Corporation.

Dito Tel, formerly Mislatel Consortium, consists of Davao businessman Dennis Uy’s Udenna Corporation (35%), Udenna’s subsidiary Chelsea Logistics Holdings Inc. (25%), and Chinese state-owned China Telecommunications Corporation (40%).

In September, the company inked an agreement to put up its facilities in military camps under a co-location agreement with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Infrastructure-oriented think tank Infrawatch PH has since called on the Department of National Defense (DND) to reject such agreements made with Dito.

"While we in Dito have yet to provide telecommunications services, we have set standards, controls, measures, and rigid protocols to help protect the integrity of Philippine national security especially on cybersecurity," Dito Tel said Sunday.

In the same statement, the company said it has tapped two more firms for the roll out of infrastructure services—Leo Technologies Infrastructure Corporation and Alt-Global Solutions Inc.

The agreements have a provision on common towers and in-building solutions, as well as rooftop tower construction services.

"For the past few months, we have been pushing hard to have onboard like-minded partners who are as committed as we are in making sure that we provide world-class telecommunications to the Filipino; and would like to assure our countrymen that yes, Dito is very well on its way to provide faster, more affordable, and secure telecom services," said Dito chief administrative officer Adel Tamano.

Dito last month announced similar partnerships with two firms backed by foreign businesses—China Energy Equipment Co. Ltd. (CEEC) and ZEAL Power Construction and Development Corporation, a Filipino-Malaysian Consortium.

"As we have said before, we in DITO are steadfast in our commitment to provide world-class and secure telecommunications services that the Filipino truly deserves," said Dito chief technology officer and retired AFP Major General Rodolfo Santiago. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA News