MANILA - DITO Telecommunity on Thursday said it is willing to "partner" with the next administration as the country's third major telco expands its network.
“Whoever is going to win, we want to partner with that administration, because the goals we want to do will be more impactful in the next administration. We are now moving to the more underserved area,” said DITO chief administrative officer Adel Tamano.
DITO is 60 percent owned by Dennis Uy, a major supporter of President Rodrigo Duterte, with China Telecom holding the remaining 40 percent.
"Any success that we have had, ang laking utang loob natin sa sa NTC (National Telecommunications Commission), DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology) and to the Duterte administration for being supportive," Tamano told reporters.
Since Duterte’s rise to power, Uy’s business empire has grown at a breakneck pace, sparking accusations that he receives preferential treatment from the state.
Uy's camp however has rejected these allegations.
"I think the way that I would like people to see, how we view the change in administration is to look at our government commitments. We are not just here for commercial enterprise, we’re here for nation-building," Tamano said.
When asked if China Telecom will increase its stake in the telco company if the amendments to the Public Service Act are approved, Tamano said he could not "give a definitive answer."
"We have to be very frank and honest and we haven’t had any conversation on that yet," he said.
Current laws cap foreign ownership in public services to 40 percent. The PSA amendments aim to loosen the restriction.
The measure, if enacted, is seen as "positive" for the telco space since building a network needs a huge sum of money, Tamano said.
DITO, which aims to challenge the duopoly of Globe Telecom and PLDT Inc, is now on its third year, with a commitment to cover at least 70 percent of the population by July.
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