DND greenlights Dito venture

Nothing wrong. That’s the same with Globe and Smart.

After showing initial apprehension, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana expressed his inclination to sign the agreement between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Dito Telecommunity Corp. allowing the technology firm to put up towers inside military installations.

There is nothing wrong with the memorandum of agreement (MoA) between the AFP and Dito, according to Lorenzana, as he expressed his inclination to approve the deal in the coming days.

He noted that the MoA signed by the AFP and Dito Telecommunity was similar to those entered into between the military with Globe Telecom and Smart Communications.

“Nothing wrong. That’s the same with Globe and Smart,” Lorenzana told reporters.

“I, most probably, will sign it,” he added.

The agreement was inked by the military and Dito Telecommunity at Camp Aguinaldo on 11 September. At the time, Lorenzana was out of the country for official business. Upon his arrival, Lorenzana vowed to scrutinize the MoA.

The Defense chief added the DND would submit a copy of the agreement to the Senate.

“They (senators) asked us to submit the contract for the third telco (Dito Telecommunity) and the documents for the other two (Globe and Smart),” said Lorenzana.

Based on the AFP-Dito MoA, the AFP will determine specific locations with its rental value for use of Mislatel in the installation and management of its communications sites without undermining the operations of the affected AFP units.

The use of military camps for the setting up of radio towers are resorted to due to the usual threats from bandits particularly New People’s Army rebels to damage the expensive structures during their efforts to extort money.

Having private telco companies set up inside military installations also helps in “saving the government millions of pesos in telecommunication services and equipment costs,” according to the military.

Mislatel is also required to “furnish all equipment, labor and materials necessary to effect the co-location of its facilities and shoulder all expenses in connection with or incidental to the co-location” aside from the payment of all taxes, permits, licenses and other charges.

Payment will be made by providing communication electronics and information system equipment, upgrade, services and training to the AFP, equivalent to the monetary value of the lease subject to inflation.

The AFP leadership stressed that the MoA went through the scrutiny of other government agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission and the National Telecommunications Commission.

Dito Telecommunity assured the public the facilities would not be used to obtain classified information.

Being the DND chief, Lorenzana has power to approve or reject the joint venture. He had pushed back his deadline on announcing his final decision following the request of Senators Franklin Drilon and Francis Pangilinan during the DND’s budget hearing last 30 September to also conduct their own review of the deal.

According to him, he “had yet to hear back” from the lawmakers of their feedback.

The AFP and the Department of Information Communications Technology (DICT) have repeatedly made guarantees the MoA had passed thorough scrutiny.

Stringent physical and cybersecurity measures, including strict background checks of personnel and thorough inspection of equipment and barring authority to foreigners to enter any communication facilities would also be put in place by agencies of the government knowledgeable in telecommunications operations, the DICT has earlier guaranteed.

The agency also said that the National Telecommunications Commission, in charge of approving cybersecurity plans of telecommunications firms such as Dito Telecommunity, and the Cybersecurity Bureau of DICT, which now has a Cybersecurity Management System Platform that can monitor threats to our cyberspace will also be fully utilized for close monitoring.