Defense Sec. Lorenzana: ‘Entry of 3rd telco won’t compromise national security’

ABOARD BRP DAVAO DEL SUR, Philippines —Measures have been taken to ensure that national security will not be compromised with the entry of a third telecommunications company in the country, the defense department said yesterday.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, however, declined to discuss what these measures are in his talk with reporters following the missile testing capability of the Philippine Navy aboard this Strategic Sealift Vessel off the coast of Limay town.

“We have (measures) but I will not tell you (what these are),” he said.

Defense and security experts have warned that the entry of state-owned China Telecom in the Philippines through a consortium might compromise national security.

The warning was echoed by several opposition lawmakers who warned that China is known for monitoring its citizens online and this could be applied in the Philippines.

But Lorenzana added that aside from its own counter-measures, the Department of National Defense was assured by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) that the security of the nation would be preserved.

Meanwhile, an organization of data protection officers has downplayed the security risk exposure arising from the entry of China Telecom, which together with the team of Davao-based businessman Dennis Uy, has been named as the country’s third telco player.

National Association of Data Protection Officers of the Philippines founding president Sam Jacoba said China Telecom’s entry as the new major player in the market should not be a cause of alarm for the Filipino public, although he urged the country to remain vigilant.

“The threat is all around us. It doesn’t matter which telco provider is hosting our information that passes through their line. The thing that matters is collectively we are aware of the dangers that the online world poses,” Jacoba said.

Jacoba said the government, through the DICT, could always check anytime what is happening with the country’s new telco player.

“The good news is finally we have a third telco. It’s all positive, but we have to be vigilant. We need to ensure that they can do what they committed to do,” he said. – With Richmond Mercurio