NTC urged to rule in favour of consumers in PLDT-Sun merger deal

The newly formed consumer group, Samahan Laban sa Monopolyo (SLaM) urged the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to uphold public interest in the ongoing hearing of the merger of PLDT-Smart and Digitel-Sun.

The members of SLaM urged the NTC to rule in favour of the consumers in the acquisition of PLDT-Smart of telecommunication franchise of Digitel-Sun and stop the impending monopoly as a result of the potential control of 70% of the bandwidth frequency at stake.

In a statement sent to the media and distributed during the hearing today, SLaM said the application of PLDT on their merger with Digitel is not a purely business transaction as most of the discussions in the hearing yesterday.  The real issue is the resulting monopoly of PLDT to potentially control majority of the telecommunication frequencies if the deal is approved.

“According to its website, the NTC is a regulatory agency providing an environment that ensures reliable, affordable and viable infrastructure and services in information and communications technology (ICT) accessible to all. We urge the members of the Commission to be true to their mandate and rule with the interest of the consumers in mind,” said Jess Sandow, Convenor of SLaM.

According to Sandow, their group is intensifying public information campaign nationwide because only the companies and the NTC know about the emerging threat in the telecommunications sector.

“The people should be informed because the franchise is a public domain that should not be the concern of telecommunications companies and the NTC only. We are talking about the impact of this trend that will bring us back to the monopoly regime that made us consumers at the mercy of a single telephone company giant,” explained Sandow.

Sandow said their group is opposing any form of monopoly particularly in public services and utilities to the detriment of the general public and the consumers. 

The group earlier welcomed the designation of the Department of Justice (DoJ) to lead the government’s legal battle and the creation of the Office for Competition to promote healthy competition and level the playing field in the market.

SLaM PRESS RELEASE
22 June 2011
REFERENCE: 
Jess Sandow, SLaM Convenor 
(call or text: 02-781-9227)