Deal for China-linked cell towers in military camps

"If the Secretary of [Department of National Defense] was left clueless about the China Telecom-[Armed Forces of the Philippines] deal in his own backyard, then maybe it is time to install a radar system in his office," Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto says of a deal to allow Dito Telecomunity — composed of China Telecom and Udenna Corp.— to place its system, towers and facilities inside military bases in the country.

"The project to allow a Chinese telco to install towers inside our military camps should have been cleared at the highest level due to its security implications," he says.

"The concern that these could morph into embedded listening devices, and that the project is like letting an electronic Trojan horse into our camps, should have been subjected to third party expert study," Recto also says.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has assured the public that the deal has yet to be finalized and that it is conscious of the need to ensure national security.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros has nonetheless  filed a resolution for hearings on the deal. 

Noting that the country's top defense official was "left in the dark," Hontiveros filed Senate Resolution 137 calling for an investigation into whether or not the presence of foreign telecom provider's facilities in military camps undermines national security.

"Is there now a 'sign first, worry about security later' policy under this administration?" Hontiveros says.