RP mobile networks not wiretapped, says spokespersons
By Erwin Oliva
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 09:38:00 03/14/2008
MAKATI CITY, Philippines -- Spokespersons from the country’s two dominant mobile network providers maintained that their networks are not compromised in the midst of allegations from political and business figures that they are being wiretapped.
This was their reaction to the recent spate of alleged wiretapped conversations of national broadband network whistleblowers Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada Jr. and Jose “Joey” de Venecia III. The conversations were recently uploaded to YouTube, a popular online video service and blogs.
Executives from Globe Telecom and Smart Communications stressed that their mobile networks are secure, but they both admitted that it is not impossible for someone to eavesdrop on mobile phone conversations.
“This is more of a question than a statement. How do we know if they are wiretapped conversations? Parties can always record their conversations,” said Ramon Isberto, public affairs head of Smart Communications, in a telephone interview, as he reacted to the alleged wiretapped conversations of Lozada and De Venecia III.
Reiterating his testimony at the Senate, Isberto admitted that it is not easy to record conversations passing through mobile networks. But it's possible using special equipment that cannot be bought off-the-shelf, he said.
“It's easy to assume that it's a wiretapped conversation. What's clear is that they are recorded conversations. But there are many ways of doing that,” he said.
In a separate interview, Jones Campos, Globe assistant vice president for public relations, stressed that mobile networks are safe from eavesdroppers.
Campos said that the National Telecommunications Commission has already inspected its premises, and has declared that local mobile networks adhere to strict rules on security.
Lozada said in an interview that the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp) is behind the wiretapped conversations.
Isafp has been accused of being behind the famous “Hello, Garci” wiretapped conversation between President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former election commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, which captured a conversation on the alleged rigging of the 2004 polls.
“We're confident that our network is secured. If they're not, then it's the end of our operations,” Campos said.
It is unlawful to wiretap private conversations, according to the anti-wiretapping law, or Republic Act 4200.
“It shall be unlawful for any person, not being authorized by all the parties to any private communication or spoken word, to tap any wire or cable, or by using any other device or arrangement, to secretly overhear, intercept, or record such communication or spoken word by using a device,” the anti-wiretapping law states.
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