MANILA -- (UPDATE) Businessman Dennis Uy, whose partnership with China Telecom secured rights to establish a third telco, skipped a Senate hearing on Tuesday.

Uy wrote to the Senate Committee on Public Services, which oversaw Tuesday's hearing, to explain his absence, according to his chief of staff and representative, lawyer Adel Tamano.

In a letter to committee chairperson Sen. Grace Poe, Uy said he was out of town on the day of the hearing "due to a previously scheduled commitment."

Uy said his companies "will fully cooperate with the committee to provide input or information that will be an aid to the legislative process."

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV looked for Uy during the proceedings.

"I believe the public would like to know who won the third telco and it is very important for the Filipino public to scrutinize the character of those behind the company," Trillanes said.

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Trillanes moved that the committee again invite Uy to its next hearing.

"I would have some questions directly, which I believe attorney Adel Tamano may not be able to answer," he said.

Uy's Udenna Corp and Chelsea Logistics together with China Telecom formed Mislatel and bested 2 other bidders for the third telco slot, Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Co and the Sear consortium of former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson.