Voting 17-2, with one abstention, the Senate approved on third and final reading House Bill 7332 that seeks to renew Dito’s 25-year legislative franchise under its old name, Mindanao Islamic Telephone Company (Mislatel). Once the bill is enacted, Dito will be allowed to operate until 2048. At the Senate, only opposition senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros thumbed down the franchise bill, citing their repeated concerns that China may use Dito as a vehicle to steal state secrets. “We welcome more competition in the telecommunications sector... however, this should not come at the expense of vital national security interests,” she added. “We cannot close our eyes to the national security issues as well as the threats to our sovereignty surrounding this telco,” he said.

Source: Philippine Star March 24, 2021 09:11 UTC