DICT to probe alleged ‘overstaying' 400 Chinese working for DITO
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is launching an investigation into the alleged 400 Chinese working for DITO Telecommunity Corp. without the necessary working visas.
DICT spokesperson Assistant Secretary Renato 'Aboy' Paraiso admitted that the agency has 'no visibility on that particular issue' until columnist Ramon Tulfo posted on Facebook his claim that DITO Tel was allegedly employing Chinese nationals who 'have over-extended their tourist visas.'
'Now that we have [knowledge] we will investigate… The DICT-CICC (Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center) will formally do an investigation,' Paraiso said.
The post said the 400 allegedly 'overstaying' Chinese might be endangering our national security as they work for a telecom company.'
Paraiso said the DICT would reach out to the Bureau of Immigration 'because the first allegation is the over[staying] visas.'
'[But] since this is a telco that we are talking about, our attached agency which is the NTC (National Telecommunications Commission) would also be an active partner in this investigation,' he said.
The DICT official said the investigation, to be led by CICC and NTC, 'would investigate as far as our ICT infrastructure and systems are being used illegally by overstaying foreigners.'
GMA News Online reached out to DITO Tel through its Viber media group.
In response, the telco's media communications team said, 'discussing internally and we will get back to you.'
DITO Tel is 60% owned by DITO CME Holdings Corp., a unit of Davao-based businessman Dennis Uy's conglomerate Udenna Group, while the remaining 40% is owned by state-owned China Telecommunications Corp.
DITO Tel, dubbed as the 'third telco' or new major player in the country's telecommunications space to disrupt the so-called duopoly of Globe and PLDT-Smart, has grown its subscriber base to 14 million as of end 2024 since its commercial launch in March 2021. –NB, GMA Integrated News
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