Choices for ARMM gov down to two?

The National Telecommunications Commission often is regarded with suspicion as protector of superrich telcos. But it is being praised these days. For, in imposing stern conditions on PLDT’s acquisition of Digitel, it favored the consumers.

PLDT was required to retain the hot-seller of Digitel’s Sun cellular service: unlimited calls and texts among its subscribers. This would drive Smart, PLDT’s cellular arm, and Globe, its main rival, to offer the same. SMS interconnection rates were slashed by more than half, from 35 to 15 centavos. Smart and Sun subscribers would benefit in the form of heavy-use discounts, which Globe must match to stay competitive. PLDT is to return 10 MHz of 3G frequency and retain only 15 MHz, to give Globe with 10 MHz a fighting chance. The NTC will bid out the surrendered 10 MHz to a new player, possibly San Miguel Corp., for more product choices for consumers.

Consumerists foresee other impacts. Unlimited calls and texts can extend to rival networks. Lower interconnection rates for mobile and landline calls would follow too. Rep. Winston Castelo (Quezon City) belatedly urged the NTC to include overseas calls and Internet services. The trend may already have started. Smart now has a subscriber offer of P3.12 per talk-minute to other networks, less than half the usual P6.50 to P7.50. An NTC side ruling is for 99 percent of texts to be delivered within 30 seconds. Meaning, telcos must upgrade their facilities. With this, the NTC can then impose a six-second-pulse billing, in lieu of per-minute talk rates, so that consumers will pay based on actual usage.

With its Digitel buy-in done, PLDT is awaiting an NTC ruling on its complaint against Globe. The case concerns franchise misuse. Since 2009 Globe has been leasing the frequencies of Altimax Broadcasting Co. for its wireless broadband services. Lawmakers say this violates the congressional franchise granted to Altimax in 1998, which is to run a broadcast network. Having been unable to launch such system, Altimax must return its 30-MHz frequency. PLDT’s Smart adds that Globe must pay spectrum usage fees to the NTC.

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More than 90 applied for temporary governor of the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao. Seven passed screening by Malacañang. Three have been short-listed: former sectoral congressman Mujiv Hataman of Basilan, former Lanao del Sur congressman Makabangkit Lanto, and former Lanao del Sur governor Saidamen Pangarungan.

Hataman reportedly has the edge, being close to the appointer, President Noynoy Aquino, once his congressional colleague. Timely for Hataman, too, the justice department last month cleared him of the 2007 assassination of Basilan representative Wahab Akbar.

Still there’s a hitch, according to Malacañang sources. Hataman is facing another criminal complaint: for graft, before the Ombudsman.

Nineteen party mates in Anak Mindanao filed the case in Nov. 2007. Allegedly Hataman had diverted his congressional pork barrel to fictitious projects in Basilan. One such, a water system in Barangay Bohe Piang, Al Barka, was listed in the Department of Budget and Management website as worth P1.5 million. The provincial public works office certified it as completed. But the barangay chairman swore that no such waterworks was done. Same with purported projects in Barangays Balobo, Limook, Buahan and Lebbuh, which the chairmen disavowed.

The case arose from the party mates’ inquiry into Hataman’s pork spending. The rep allegedly told them he got no allocation in 2004-2006 for being with the minority that signed impeachment raps against then-President Gloria Arroyo. They found out that he received P70 million in 2003, of which P29.7 million went to Basilan, P22.2 million to his Sumisip hometown alone where his brother was mayor. In 2004 he got another P70 million, with P26.4 million to Basilan, P18.2 million to Sumisip. In 2005 the pork was P40 million; in 2006 P5 million, with P3.5 million to Sumisip. Allegedly Hataman owned seven expensive vehicles and two houses in Quezon City and Basilan beyond his means, based on his Statements of Assets and Liabilities for 2004-2006.

The Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao asked the Commission on Audit in Aug. 2008 to examine the dealings. There it supposedly got lost in the bureaucratic mess. Last June the Anak Mindanao head asked the new COA chief, Maria Gracia Pulido Tan, to conduct once and for all the long-delayed special audit.

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Reader Manuel C. Diaz of Los Angeles writes about Manila airport immigration: “I flew out last Oct. 28. It was the first time since 1993 that I was not stopped for a supposed hold-departure order. Immigration finally has purged my name from that HDO list, although I had been presenting court clearances since 1997. That’s an improvement. But the international airport still has no toilet in the pre-departure area.”

EJ Flores of Las Piñas laments that local authorities close national roads at will, to the inconvenience of traversing commuters: “Last April I had a flight from Cebu, ETD 6:30 a.m. At 5 a.m. my ride was crossing the bridge to Mactan, where the airport is, when I was told of a traffic rerouting due to a fun-run. Traffic jammed because there was no plan for vehicles, only instructions to clear the highway to the airport. Like me, many passengers missed flights. Nobody could tell when asked who would answer for damages caused by the delays and cancellations. The police said they were only following orders.”

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