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December 11, 2020 | 12:09 am Font Size
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AT LEAST NINE former military officers have joined Dito Telecommunity Corp., a company official said Thursday, amid concerns over its partnership with a Chinese state-owned telecommunications firm.
Retired Col. Roleen del Prado currently leads the telco startup’s cybersecurity operations team, Dito Chief Technology Officer Rodolfo D. Santiago, also a retired military general, said at a virtual briefing.
“We regard him as the best in terms of cybersecurity… I was able to convince him to retire early and join Dito to lead our cybersecurity operations,” he added.
Mr. Santiago added that a “minimum of nine” former military officers currently work for Dito.
Dito hires ex-soldiers to ease China worries inquirer.net - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from inquirer.net Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
DITO taps retired colonel to head cybersecurity; hires 8 more ex-AFP officers By TED CORDERO, GMA News
Published December 10, 2020 2:28pm Telecommunications duopoly challenger DITO Telecommunity Corp. has tapped former officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to be part of its teams in a bid to ensure its network will not be used to threaten national security amid fears of spying by Beijing due to its Chinese state-owned partner. In a virtual press briefing, DITO chief technology officer Rodolfo Santiago disclosed that there are a “minimum of nine” retired military officers hired by the telco, including him a former major general.
China-backed Dito Telecommunity Corp. has hired at least nine former military officials, including a retired colonel, in a move to allay lingering fears that the government-chosen third telecommunications player would be used by Beijing to spy on the country.
During a virtual briefing on Thursday, Dito Chief Technology Officer Rodolfo Santiago, himself an ex-general, said hiring retired army men could ease critics’ fears.
He also insisted that ensuring his company’s network would not be used to compromise the country’s security was part of Dito’s commitment to the government.
Santiago also defended the hiring, telling reporters that “if you’re going to scan the local cybersecurity industry, [it’s] true, even in other countries, [that] those that have been with the Armed Forces are the best persons to be utilized for very critical cybersecurity requirements.”