Duterte rejects plea for more time in selecting third telco player

President Rodrigo Duterte has rejected the Department of Information and Communications Technology's request that it be given more time to choose the third player in the country's telecommunications industry.

At a press briefing, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte was emphatic during the Cabinet meeting on Monday as regards his timeline that the third player be known in March.

The DICT has asked that the awarding be moved to either May or June.

Roque said Duterte warned critics of the entry of the third telco player "not to test the will of the government."

"The President was particularly displeased with the fact that in order to have a third telecoms player we would need to find frequencies to be allotted to the third telecom player and he was displeased with the fact that frequency given to a shell company CURE which apparently was given for free would have to be bought back by government in order that the third player could be given these frequencies," Roque said. 

"The President rejected that proposal, that we pay for frequencies that we gave out for free and he warned everyone involved not to test the resolve of the President in allowing a third telecoms carrier to enter the country," he added.

DICT officer-in-charge Eliseo Rio earlier said the announcement date had been adjusted to give prospective telcos more time to prepare for the bidding.

He also said the third player is expected to be operational four to six months after the winning bidder has been announced.

The country's telco industry is currently dominated by PLDT and Globe. —NB, GMA News