Duterte to telcos: Report to Cabinet officials LGUs delaying tower permits

President Rodrigo Duterte urged telecommunications service providers to directly report to his Cabinet officials local government units causing delays in the process of securing necessary permits to build cell sites.

This was Duterte's response to Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu's complaint about the difficulties that telcos face in building cellular towers. 

Cu said that apart from securing almost 30 permits, telcos also need to pay different kinds of fees, such as miscellaneous fee, special use permit fee, among others.

“Isipin niyo lang ho ‘yun, sir, kung nag-apply kami ng 5,000 towers times 28 or 30 permits... ilang libong permit ang kukunin namin para makapag-umpisa?” the Globe chief said.

In response, Duterte said, “It’s really corruption. The local governments are all fucking it up that’s why.” 

Thus, the President advised Cu to directly report erring LGUs to his Cabinet secretaries as well as his long-time aide and now Senator Christopher “Bong” Go.

"Alam mo 'you can ask Bong or Sonny (Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III) or the generals, kay [Interior] Secretary (Eduardo) Año. Isumbong niyo na lang ng diretso," Duterte said.

He then ordered his Cabinet to employ “most drastic measure you can find.”

During his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered last Monday, Duterte threatened Globe and Smart Communications that their properties will be expropriated by the government if they fail to improve their services by December.  —LBG, GMA News