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The Department of Transportation and Communications and the National
Telecommunications Commission said on Wednesday that they are ready
to explain to Malacañang the apparent fiasco that resulted from the
50-centavo slash on text messaging rates. The supposed reduction was
announced by President Gloria Arroyo in her State of the Nation
Address on Monday.
According to an official close to Transportation
Secretary Leandro Mendoza, they had asked the telecommunications
commission for a backgrounder and a summary report on the supposed
slash with the major carriers—Globe Telecoms, Smart
Communications and Sun Cellular.
The official, who asked that he not be named,
said the supposed 50-centavo reduction in text rates was included in
a report of the Transportation department to President Arroyo. The
report failed to include the mechanics and indicate that the
slashing was a promotional pitch.
He added that the supposed slash was not even
highlighted by Mendoza in the report and that it could have been
easily the mistake of the “spin doctors” of the Palace in their
apparent efforts to polish the image of the President.
“The report on that 50-centavo cut was
actually in the report of Secretary Mendoza, but from what I
remembered, he did not even highlight it because it did not even
include a definition or explanation of the mechanics,” the
official said.
Presidential Management Staff chief Cerge
Remonde said they will demand from the Transportation department and
the telecommunications commission an explanation on the apparent
fiasco.
Under the promotional pitch, subscribers wishing
to avail of the 50-centavo slash were required to register.
The major carriers said the “promo” would
end in October although officials from the telecommunications
commission said the carriers could extend their campaign.
Commissioner Ruel Canobas of the
telecommunications commission told The Manila Times that they are
ready to explain to the Palace the mess, if called to do so.
Canobas vowed that they will try to make the
offer of the major carriers “permanent.”
Reports said cellular-phone users went on a
“texting spree” after hearing Mrs. Arroyo’s announcement on
Monday.
Consumer group TXTPower challenged the President
to order the telecommunications commission to make the P0.50 charge
permanent.
The group asked Mrs. Arroyo to order the
commission to study the real cost of sending a text message since
carriers are required to show the real cost of their
telecommunications services.
Smart Communications also on Wednesday said its
decision on whether to make the 50-centavo offer permanent depends
on people’s reaction to it.
“We have been saying that we are open to
extending the promo. But it really depends on how the market takes
to the product,” top official Ramon Isberto told The Manila Times
in a text message.
-- Francis Earl A. Cueto
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