THE PHILIPPINE STAR

THE PHILIPPINE STAR

WEDNESDAY I FEBRUARY 6, 2019 news
Go-signal to Mislatel as telecom player seen
By PAOLO ROMERO tee, sponsored the resolution pertains to calling Mislatel floor to allo* other senators to senators earlier disputed the the franchise.
on the floor on Monday. .a new major player or third debate on the issue. consortium's claim that it can The widely held viev
The Senate is expected to The committee wiapped telco. We're treating it as a reg- She said Mislatel also risks operate as a third telco with the among lawmakers is tha
greenJight today the trar.rsfer up its inquiry last week into ular franchise because later on losing more than P25 billion in franchise it has from Mislatel. Mislatel no longer had a valic
of ownership of Mindanao the DICT and the NTC's se- someone might go to the court performance bond should they A group of investors, led by franchise before being part o
Islamic Telephone Company lection last November of Mis- and say Congress recognized fail to meet commitments in Nicanor Escalante, took control the consortium, not only fo:
Inc. (Mislatel) to a consortium latel Consortium to compete Mislatel as the third telco," Poe the first year of operation as re- of Mislatel with 70 percent failing to get the nod of Con
named by the Departrnent of against Smart and Clobe. said in a television interview quted by the DICT and NTC. onmership irl 2015 but Drilon gress in the transfer ofowner
Information and Communica- The consortium is coni- Even if ihe Senate allows Poe said the resolution does maintained any trpnsfer of onm- ship, but also for not havinl
tions Technology (DICT) and posed of two firms - Chelsea Mslatel to continue operating, not in any way pfeclude Con- ership must first get the nod of operated at all as stipulate(
the National Telecommunica- Logistics and Udenna Corp. Poe pointed out interested par- gress ftom altering, mod ifying, Congresg which had granted in RA 8627.
tions Commission (NTC) as - owned by Davao-based busi- ties are not precluded to avail amending or repealing Misla- franchise to ig original owners. Adel Tamano, spokesmar
the country's third telecom- nessmar,r bennis Uy; state- themselves of legal remedies tel's franchise granted under Legal experts, including of- for the consortium, said thr
municalions player owned China Telecommunica- in the courts. Republic Act 8627 in L998 ficials of the Integrated Bar of firm intends to use the resolu.
The plenary is scheduled .tions Corp. and Mslatel. Poe said she endorsed the should it fail to make good its the Philippines, told the Senate tion in courts where its lega
to vote on House Concurrent Poe said the committee resolution - passed last year . commihrents regarding cover- committee last week they be- standing may be questioned.
Resolution23, which approved removed any reference to in the House of Representa- age and intemet speed. Iieve Mislatel no longer holds Sen. Francis Escudero saic
the transfer of the controlling Mjslatel as the third telco or tives - because of the public's It does not also mean an a valid franchise. the issue of validity of fran
interest of Mislatel's owners to the "new major player" (NMP) "desperation" to have a new automatic renewal of its fran- chise can be cured with z
The way to resolve the mat-
player that promises better chise set to expir€ in 2023, she tel they said, is for a quo w:r-
congressional approval of thr
telco services. added. ranto case to be filed before
kansfer of ownership, whicl
Poe said she felt it would be Senate Minority Leader the Supreme Court or for already implies settlement ol
"urrfair" not to present it on the Franklin Drilon and other Congress to uphold oi repeal the issue. Turn to Page 1

faces uncertainty if He said China Telecom

Congress
Go-signa.l r,o,"eue"c would
would renew its franchise. have almost 40 percent
Senate Pr.esident Pro Tem- interest in Mislatel Consor-
Escudero expressed dis- led to the prospective third pore Ralph Recto last week tium under its application but
aDDointment that Mislatel player's facing serious legal warned the matter must be the state.owned firm could end
c6risortium abetted the ap- challenges. seen in a bigger perspective up owning the entire cumPany
parent lack of diligence from He warned Mislatel could as it involves the country's if the pru,posed Public Services
ihe DICT and the NTC, which lose in a quo warranto case arrd security. Act is passed in Congress.

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