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Acting as a proxy for Chinese government: Sen. Risa Hontiveros voices her concern that a certain company, which owns 40 percent of the Dito Telecommunity Corporation, is acting as a proxy for the Chinese government. “By allowing a proxy of the Chinese government set up a telecommunications network in the country as well as facilities within our military bases, wouldn’t that be tantamount to letting state-sponsored hacking groups get one foot on the door?” Hontiveros asked an official from the Department of Information and Communications Technology during the virtual hearing Monday, December 7, 2020, looking into proposals to renew the franchise granted to Dito Telecommunity Corporation, formerly Mindanao Islamic Telephone Company, Inc., and the granting of a franchise to a new applicant, Instant Data, Inc. The DICT official promised to submit a report to Hontiveros on the matter. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)