Press Release
September 16, 2019

TRANSCRIPT EXCERPTS OF SEN. FRANCIS "KIKO" PANGILINAN TV INTERVIEW BY HEADSTART'S KAREN DAVILA
ON CHINA TELCO TOWERS INSIDE PHILIPPINE MILITARY CAMPS

SFNP: Tapos eto ang ating Armed Forces, makikipagkontrata sa isang kumpanya na China telco ang partner, para magset-up ng mga towers ng telco nila sa loob mismo ng military camps. It's like hindi alam nung kanang kamay ano yung ginagawa nung kaliwang kamay. Bakit ganito?... Alam mo hindi biro itong China telco involvement dito sa ating military camps. May concern na nga yung China telco as the third telco dahil may mga sinasabi. Halimbawa sa Australia, sa US, sa Japan, sa New Zealand, binawal iyong Huawei, iyong Chinese company sa kanilang 5G, iyong kanilang telco, yung kanilang hardware, kasi nga ang concern gagamitin nung Chinese government iyong information na nakuha na dumadaan doon sa kanilang mga sistema para itulak ang interes ng China.

KD: Is it even legal for the AFP to close deals like that?

SFNP: Well that also is another issue. Ano ba ang basehan nito? Nasaan ba, ano ba iyong kontrata? Binabayaran ba? Ito ba ay pwe-pwede bang pumasok ang isang private company at ang Armed Forces of the Philippines sa ganitong klaseng kontrata? You know there is a limit to what big business should be allowed to do.

KD: But do Smart and Globe also have towers in the military camps?

SFNP: This we have to find out. But of course, iyon ang concern. The national security concern. Alam mong merong batas, dalawang batas ang China, iyong National Intelligence Law of 2017, at iyong Counter-Espionage Law of 2014. And in both laws, sinasabi ng mga batas nila, na ang organizations -- private organizations and citizens -- should cooperate in gathering of intelligence information by the state. So iyon mismo, China telco is an organization. It is a Chinese company. What if the Chinese government says, "Oh, meron kayong access diyan. You are mandated to turn over information to us because we have the Counter-Espionage Law and we have the National Intelligence Law." Iyon ang magkakaroon tayo ng problema. At hindi ito spekulasyon lang. Anong nangyari sa Cathay Pacific noong panahon ng mga protesta sa Hong Kong? Nung sumama iyong kanilang mga empleyado dun sa mga rally, ginawa ng gobyerno ng China, pinagpaliwanag iyong Cathay Pacifc bakit sumasama ang inyong mga empleyado at sinu-sino ang mga yan?

KD: And to think Cathay Pacific is a privately-owned, profit commercial company.

SFNP: Precisely. Ang Cathay Pacific sinabi, iyon ang nangyari. Nag-resign iyong CEO ng Cathay Pacific dahil hinihingi sa kanila iyong listahan ng lahat ng kanilang mga empleyado na nagparticipate sa mga rally. And this is Hong Kong. This is Cathay Pacific. Ano na lang ang sasabihin ng Chinese government, "Oh, China Telco. Partner nyo rito ang Mislatel, o yung impormasyon na nakukuha nyo diyan sa military camp, dalhin nyo sa 'tin." This is a serious cause of concern that we have to look into. But, I will reiterate. Kung ang Secretary ng National Defense natin sinabi na na concern ang POGO, kung ang ating National Security Adviser na si Esperon, sinabi na na concern ang maraming Chinese nationals, daang libong Chinese nationals sa ating bansa sa ngayon. Kung sinasabi na nila iyon, eto naman tayo sa kabilang banda, nakikipagkontrata para iyong military camps natin, eh yung China telco ay andun na mismo ang kanilang technology.

KD: Senator, can this be a ..., let's say a Senate hearing first should be called before any kind of installation...

SFNP: We will actually raise this sa budget hearings. We're currently going through the budget debates sa Senate. Iyan ang kainaman nung three branches of government. We approve the budget, the Executive presents it to us in defense. So during the budget debates, for the DND and the AFP, we will raise this. We will ask clarificatory questions regarding this deal. And we will look into this because popondohan natin ang AFP, DND. Alam mo hindi biro iyang information na maaaring malikom dito sa mga telcos na ito: troop movement, conversations...meetings, national security briefings.

KD: But how can a deal be closed if it doesn't have the go-signal let's say of Secretary Lorenzana or Secretary Esperon?

SFNP: That's what we found out. Kasi ang information natin...

KD: Who closed it in the AFP?

SFNP: Iyon ang kinakailangan nating malaman. Ano ba ang puno't dulo nito?

KD: Is there a lack of transparency at this point? I know there was video of the deal itself shaking hands, an agreement. But that was it.

SFNP: And that's why maganda nga na sa budget debates maipaliwanag ito at magkaroon tayo ng...We don't want to rush to any conclusion at this point kasi nabasa ko lang sa news na parang pinapa-comment si Secretary Lorenzana pero di sya available. So I'd like to... Hintayin natin ang magiging sagot ng Secretary of National Defense at ng National Security Adviser.

KD: When it comes to POGO, a big piece of land, one is the one in Cavite which used to be Island Cove. And they say is close to, I think an airbase.

SFNP: Iyong Sangley. Tapos sa Camp Aguinaldo at Camp Crame dun sa may Greenhills area sabi nila ay meron din diyan. Sa Clark, meron din sa tabi ng ating airbase doon. And then several others.

KD: So the question is, the one...let's start with Cavite. That was, I think sold for 7 billion pesos already for the building of the POGO operations, POGO housing, a small POGO community. The PAGCOR says it's better to contain Chinese workers, Chinese activities also for their own safety. PAGCOR is projecting 8-11 billion pesos a year in additional revenue.

SFNP: Alam mo, slippery slope yan eh. Dahil pag sinabi ng China, na lahat pati na ng overseas na POGO ay illegal, at hahabulin nila yung mga Chinese investors yan, eh magsisi-alisan yan. Bagsak yan, itong mga bilyun-bilyong pinag-uusapan. And it has happened in other countries. If I'm not mistaken, in Cambodia, there was a policy, nagwithdraw yung Chinese investors. Bagsak. Naapektuhan directly iyong local economy. So hindi madaling investment ang gambling. Komplikado yan. Plus I heard over an interview sa DZMM, a couple of weeks ago, si Teresita Ang-See, sabi nya na ang report sa kanila, every other day lang kidnapping ng mga Chinese nationals dito sa ating bansa. Ito ang natatanggap nilang report, na dahil pinasok dito itong mga kwenstiyonable, mga gambling, mga sindikatong behind that, lalo na iyong Chinese gambling syndicates. Illegal sa China yan eh. Bakit gumagawa ng illegal itong mga ito at sa atin ginagawa? And iba ang Chinese law. Ang Chinese law, kahit illegal sa ibang bansa iyong ginagawa mo, illegal pa rin sa ibang bansa.

KD: Now the question Senator is, because Malacañang sanctions this essentially. Ok, they defend it. They allow it. Does the state, in any way, have any power to stop, let's say the proliferation of these POGO compounds to be built? What power does the state have? Can the Senate do it, or only the Supreme Court?

SFNP: There are several actions that can be taken. Whether through the courts, whether through executive action, whether through legislation. Three approaches ang pwe-pwede diyan. Sa legislation, marami ring mga options. Di ba we go through a public hearing on the matter? We ventilate the issue. We find out precisely what is going on and then recommend legislation. So maraming pwe-pwedeng gawin. Ang kinakailangan lang dito, magkaliwanagan. Ito ba ay mas makakabuti sa atin o hindi?

KD: Ok. Is the foreign policy of this government, when it comes to China, clear? To you, for example. Because Vice President Leni Robredo had already asked that Malacañang be clear on its foreign policy and its stand on China and when it comes to the arbitral ruling. And of course, Malacañang slammed Vice President Leni Robredo regarding her statement.

SFNP: Well alam mo 93% of our voters and the population are concerned about our losing our territory to China. And, therefore, that alone will tell you that our countrymen are not happy... But that alone should not be a basis. Although that should be a guide. Pero ako naniniwala, mabigat ang usapin na ito at dito na nga, dito na lang, balikan natin iyong mga telco. Concerned ang National Defense Secretary dito sa POGO. Concerned ang ating National Security Adviser dito sa dami ng mga Chinese nationals bilang security concern. Pero eto naman ang AFP, going into an agreement so the China telco the partner Mislatel or Dito can set-up a telco technology equipment in military camps. So you're asking me if it's clear? This is exhibit A na, on the one hand iba yung sinasabi, on the other hand iba ang ginagawa. So gusto nating malaman, ano ba talaga ang direksyon natin dito?

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