Duterte vows to name new telco player before Christmas

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday vowed to fast-track the selection of the third telecommunications player that will compete with giants PLDT and Globe.

Duterte, in a televised discussion with Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo in Malacañang, said he will name the new telco player before Christmas.

“Early November kapag wala pa (If there are no developments by early November), I will take over. Ilagay ko ‘yan sa (I’ll put that under the)  Office the President and I will invite all… negosyante (businessmen) and here I will decide kung sino,” he said.

“I will resolve it by late November and early December. By Christmas, alam na ng mga tao kung sino ang (the people will know the) third telco player,” he added.

Earlier, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said it expects to name the new telco player “within the year” after missing its initial target of making an announcement before Duterte’s State of the Nation Address in July as the terms of reference (TOR) for the selection process has yet to be finalized.

Duterte also promised to select bidder with the best track record to provide more options and better service to consumers. /ee

READ: DICT to push through with selection of 3rd telco by Q4 2018