Councilor Luis “Chavit” Singson of Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, denied on Saturday that President Rodrigo Duterte had a hand in the selection the country’s third major telecommunications player and that he supported the selection of a firm involving Davao City-based businessman Dennis Uy.

“Sinasabi ko po palagi nilang ginagamit yung pangalan ng Presidente. Di makikielam si Presidente dito,” Singson said in an interview with AM radio station DZMM.

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[I’m saying that they’re always using the President’s name. The President will not meddle in this.]

Last Wednesday, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) selected Mislatel as the third telco player which would go against rivals PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom.

Mislatel, which is composed of China Telcom and Uy’s Udena Corp. and Chelsea Logistics, is among the three consortiums that offered bids to NTC.

Singson said that Duterte would only want to give the Filipinos improved telco services.

“Pero ‘di dapat gamitin yung pangalan ng presidente dito. Dahil ang gusto lang ng presidente makalingkod sa mga taong bayan,” he said.

Singson’s LCS Group and TierOne — collectively known as the Sear Telecommunications Consortium — lost to Mislatel in the bidding.

The NTC disqualified Sear Telecommunications due to its lack of valid letter of credit for the P700 million bid bond, a security the NTC placed to ensure that only serious contenders would join.

Sear Consortium then filed its motion for reconsideration before the NTC on Friday.

“Sear Telecoms Consortium is thus constrained to ask the SC [selection committee] to reconsider the declaration of Mislatel as the provisional NMP [new major player] pending investigations of the foregoing matters,” a portion of its appeal read.

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Sear pointed out to an agreement between Digiphil Technologies Inc. and Mislatel last May 30, which stated that both would jointly provide affordable internet in the Philippines.

The agreement also referred to joining the government’s third telco selection process.

Sear added that the deal barred Mislatel from partnering with other groups without consent.

Sear then accused Mislatel of “inordinately and in gross violation of its contractual commitment to exclusively venture with Digiphil partnered with Udenna Corp., Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp. and China Telecommunications Corp. in their bid as NMP.” /atm

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