The Senate Committee on Public Services is considering granting the Mindanao Islamic Telephone consortium the franchise that will allow them to operate as the third telecommunications company in the country.
Sen. Grace Poe, committee chairman, raised the possibility as the panel wrapped up its inquiry on the selection of the Mislatel consortium as country’s third telco player.
Poe noted that this is among her considerations in coming up with a decision on the issues hounding the consortium of Dennis Uy’s Udenna Corp. (Udenna), Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp., and the State-owned China Telecommunications Corporation, particularly in the legislative franchise it used in its bid to be the new major player in the telecommunications sector.
“Unang una, ang kanilang prangkisa, bagama’t puwede naming ibigay sa kanila, puwedeng makuwestiyon ito sa korte. Ngayon, iniisip ko rin ang gusto ng ating mga kababayan na magkaroon ng mas mabilis na Internet, mas mura,” Poe said.
Poe said the Senate’s possible approval of Mislatel’s franchise could “actually cure the defect and the questions surrounding the legality of the franchise.”
The committee chairman, anyway, said it would be Mislatel that would lose should the validity of its franchise be challenged and later on be struck down by the Judiciary as invalid.
Poe noted that Mislatel would have to pay for the P27-billion performance bond to the government even as it is not successful in operating as a third telco player.
“Kung ito’y papayagan ng Senado dahil sa tingin natin emergency na kailangan natin ng serbisyo na ganyan, ibigay natin. Makaka-operate sila; pero kapag kinuwestiyon ng korte, biglang matitigil sila,” she said.
“Sa tingin ko malaki ang investment nila. Kaya kung mapapabilis nila ang ating serbisyo, bakit hindi. Pero wina-warningan ko rin sila na sinabi ko kapag kinuwestiyon ‘yan sa Korte maaaring maantala so ‘yun ang nagiging issue ngayon,” she added.
Poe, however, refused to categorically confirm the panel’s inclination as to Mislatel’s franchise, saying she has yet to consult his colleagues’ view on the matter. (Vanne Terrazola)
