Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, downplayed concerns of espionage amid the military’s agreement with Mislatel to build its communications facilities in military camps and installations despite the telecom company’s alleged ties with China.
Madrigal said that the agreement that the AFP made with Mislatel is the same that they have with two other telecoms giants in the Philippines – Smart Communications and Globe Telecoms.
“We have been partnering of course with Globe, with Smart. This is the same partnership that we are doing with Mislatel who had been given or won (to operate the) third telco,” said Madrigal.
“We will give the same services that we have been giving to other companies,” he added.
Mislatel – Mindanao Islamic Telephone Co. – is a consortium composed of Chelsea Logistics and Infrastructure Holdings Corp., Udenna Corp., and China Telecom.
The Philippines is locked in a territorial dispute with China and other Southeast Asia countries in the West Philippine Sea. The Duterte administration is being criticized for its alleged soft stand with China amid tension between Filipino fishermen and Chinese Coast Guard and military in the West Philippine Sea.
Mislatel was conferred with the status of New Major Player in the telecommunications industry by the National Telecommunications Commission last Nov. 19.
Based on the Memorandum of Agreement between the AFP and Mislatel, it is the military which will determine specific locations with its rental value for use of Mislatel in the installation and management of its communications sites.
On the other hand, Mislatel will shoulder all the expenses and equipment necessary to effect the co-location of its facilities. The expenses include payment of all taxes, permits, licenses, and other charges.
“Payment will be made by providing CEIS equipment, upgrade, services, and training to the AFP equivalent to the monetary value of the lease subject to inflation,” the AFP said.
Some security experts, including AFP and Department of National Defense insiders, raised the espionage issue over the locations of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators which happened to be near some military camps.
POGOs are known to be operated by Chinese businessmen, and have reportedly more than 200,000 Chinese employees. (Aaron Recuenco)
