Roxas warns Telcos: Congress can review your franchises
Urges firms to address consumers’ complaints
Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas yesterday pressed the country’s top mobile carriers to address growing consumer complaints about pre-paid subscription services offered to millions of mobile phone users.
Roxas, chairman of the Senate committee on trade and commerce, warned Congress could interfere in the operations of the giant telecommunications firms if they continue to stonewall complaints related to services offered to their pre-paid users.
“Hambalan na ninyo ang inyo mga opisyal nga unahan nila ang Kongreso sa pagkaayo sang pagdumala sa ila mga kompaniya. Kon dili ninyo makaayo, kami na diri sa Kongreso ang mapilitan magpangita sing paagi agud masabat ang reklamo sang mga pumuloyu,” he said during Tuesday’s hearing into the “Disappearing Load” controversy exposed by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.
“What you don’t want is for Congress to start writing up your Operations Manual and imposing limits, including the number of minutes for lunch breaks or your pensions. We are resonating the public’s complaint and if you stonewall these, we will take the necessary steps,” he added.
The Visayan senator said telecommunication firms have long been remiss in serving the public’s interest, noting that they have successfully tied the hands of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) from imposing strict guidelines on their operations.
NTC Deputy Commissioner Douglas Michael Millillin told senators the Commission has not been able to implement billing guidelines for telecommunication services and other value-added services offered because of an injunction issued by the Quezon City trial court branch 77 against Memorandum Circular No. 13-06-2000 on November 20, 2000.
The Circular, among others, sets the guidelines on billing statements, sale and use of prepaid cards, interconnection agreements and sanctions for violation of any provisions of the memorandum.
Roxas said Congress granted the franchises of the telecommunication firms on the assumption the industry would be ably regulated by the NTC. “But since the NTC has been handcuffed, ‘ining franchises dili na operative,” he said.
“Walo ka tuig na ang kaso nga ini sa korte, kag maathag nga nagdugay na ini. The injunction implies that the law is not clear. If that is the case, then Congress can clean the law and make it clear, and therefore, there will be no more injunctions,” he said.
“The bottom line is the consumer. Dili mahimu nga pabaya-an ang mga pagbakhu nila: dili mahimu nga pabungol-bungolan ang ila mga reklamo. Kinahanglanon sa mga tawo nga ini ang pagpakig-angot sa ila panimalay. Sa kinse pesos nga load, isa ka lata na sang sardinas ang katumbas sini.. We must address their concerns with compassion and understanding, and not turn a deaf ear. This is the public that we, as elected officials, swore to serve, and the least we could do is to listen to the people who are the very lifeblood of your business,” he said.
Roxas announced the second hearing would be scheduled next week to hear more complaints from subscribers of Smart Communications Inc., Globe Telecoms and Digitel Mobile Philippines Inc. (Sun Cellular).