MANILA -- When the Philippines' telecom challenger Dito Telecommunity picked March 28 to showcase its brand-new network, the date was carefully chosen to honor the man who made it all possible -- Rodrigo Duterte.
Timing it with the Philippine president's birthday would show the close ties between the leader and China Telecom-backed Dito, the company Duterte is hoping will break up the country's long-standing telecom duopoly.
