Maaaring bawiin ng mga susunod na administrasyon ang prangkisa na iginawad sa Dito Telecommunity Corporation bilang third telco player sa Filipinas.
Ito ang lumitaw sa isang telecommunications study na inilabas ng isang ASIA Pacific consulting firm na naka-base sa Australia na nagpapahayag ng labis na pagkabahala sa pambansang seguridad at sa pagkakapili at napipintong operasyon ng Dito Telecommunity-China Telecom bilang third telco player ng bansa.
Isinagawa ng consulting firm na Creator Tech ang pag-aaral na pinamagatang “A Study Into The Proposed New Telecommunications Operator In The Philippines: Critical Success Factors and Likely Risks.”
Ipinahiwatig ng Creator Tech sa report nito na mistulang may iregularidad sa selection process kung saan iginawad sa Dito ang prangkisa bilang third telco.
Idinagdag pa sa report na ang pakikipagsosyo ng China Telecom sa isang local telco player ay base sa imprimatur ni Presidente Duterte na noong 2017 ay napaulat na humiling kay China’s Prime Minister Li Keqiang para sa isang kompanya na magpapatakbo bilang third telecom ng bansa.
“It is difficult not to draw the conclusion that China Telecom was pre-destined to win the license for the 3rd telco in the Philippines,” nakasaad sa report ng Creator Tech.
“Since there were apparent irregularities in the license process which could justify withdrawing, a future administration may overturn the decision to award the license,” ayon pa sa report, na tinukoy ang risk factors na kinakaharap ng partnership ng Dito at China Telecom’.
Sa konklusyon nito, iginiit ng report na, “a future administration would have multiple grounds on which to revisit or withdraw the license. This represents a risk to the venture.”
Binanggit din sa report ng Creator Tech ang background ng China Telecom bilang state-controlled company na tinukoy ng United States Department of Defense na may pagkakaugnay sa Chinese military, kasama ang 19 na iba pang state-run business firms.
“China Telecom reports to the Central People’s Government in China. This partner of Dito, which describes itself as a main force for building a cyber power, is China’s preferred third mobile operator put forward by China’s leaders upon the request of President Duterte. This raises serious questions on cyber security; citizens’ privacy and national interests. These will have serious repercussions on multiple fronts,” ayon sa buod ng pag-aaral ng Creator Tech.
Binanggit din nito ang isang pagsusuri sa company strategy ng third telco na mangangailangan ng suporta at pang-unawa ng board of directors.
“Since China Telecom accounts for 40% of the ownership, then it will have an input on the company’s strategy… and given China Telecom’s ownership by the Chinese government, they may have other considerations than business profitability,” nakasaad pa sa report.
