NOW affiliates file graft charges vs. NTC officials after Ombudsman suspends ARTA execs

Affiliates of NOW Telecom Company Inc. have filed graft complaints against several officials of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly delaying the processing of the companies’ necessary permits and licenses to operate their businesses.

NOW affiliates NOW Cable and News and Entertainment Network Corporation (Newsnet) filed separate cases against NTC officials for alleged violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act on June 9, 2022.

This after the Ombudsman suspended Anti-Red Tape Authority director general Jeremiah Belgica, deputy director-general Eduardo Bringas, division chief Sheryl Pura-Sumagui, and directors Jedrek Ng and Melamy Salvadora-Asperin.

In a press statement, NOW Cable said it filed a criminal complaint against NTC incumbent Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba, Deputy Commissioners Delilah Deles and Edgardo Cabarios, and Director of the Legal Branch Ella Blanca Lopez.

NOW Cable alleged that the act of the NTC respondents of "intentionally delaying the processing of permits, licenses, and other authorizations of complainant NOW Cable and its affiliate corporations, with the end goal of disenfranchising Complainant of the same – and ultimately awarding it other favored telecommunications and media companies," violate Section 3 (E) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

NOW Cable also alleged that the respondents were responsible for blocking multi-billion private transactions of NOW Cable by unjustly and unfairly denying or delaying the assignment of frequencies.

Likewise, Newsnet filed said the same respondents “should be held accountable for their act of intentionally delaying the processing of permits, licenses, and other authorizations of complainant Newsnet and its affiliate corporations, with the end goal of disenfranchising complainant Newsnet of the same – and ultimately awarding it to other favored telecommunications and media companies violate Section 3 (E) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.”

GMA News Online reached out to the NTC for their comment on the matter, but no response has been received yet as of this posting.—LDF, GMA News