Dutch businessman probed for unlicensed Voice Over Internet Protocol services

MANILA, Philippines - A Dutch national is now being investigated by the National Telecommunications Commission after his information technology firm was accused of offering Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) services without the required license from the said agency.

The NTC yesterday conducted a hearing on the administrative case filed against Gijsbertus Marinus de Boer, also known as Ben de Boer, identified as the principal owner of International Solutions Advanced Provider (ISAP) Telecommunications Philippines, Inc. In the hearing, complainants Eric Santos, Joseph Limos, and Angelica Santos accused De Boer and his firm of “wilfully violating NTC regulations and defrauding the public by offering VOIP services without any license” from the NTC.

The complainants said that the Dutch and his company should be stopped from further operating their VOIP services operation and penalized for their illegal engaging in the said business. Santos said De Boer should be made to answer for his illegal acts and punished for deliberately defrauding his clients and giving unfair competition to Philippine corporations also engaged in the VOIP business.

The complainants also alleged that De Boer violated the Anti-Dummy Law for creating a company that purchased land for his personal benefit and for abusing the incentives given to foreign businessmen in special economic zones. The complainants claimed that “De Boer had been promoting his business and advancing proposals and offering different packages for VOIP services through the internet in clear violation of existing laws.”

“The Dutch businessman also used various schemes to circumvent the law by organizing a partnership, International Solutions Advanced Provided Co., and registering the same as an Ecozone IT enterprise in 2004,” the complainants said.   – Rainier Allan Ronda