Enrile billed for ‘Careless’ download

MANILA, Philippines—Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile claims he doesn’t know the song “Careless Whisper” by Wham! and is perplexed that he was billed for downloading the ring tone and three others into his cell phone for P180.

“I’ve never heard of it,” Enrile said of the song, to laughter at a Senate hearing Tuesday prompted by his complaint that he had lost last month P400 worth of “load” without even touching his phone.

Enrile and Sen. Joker Arroyo scolded NTC Deputy Commissioner Douglas Michael Mallillin for insisting that his agency only had “residual powers” in dealing with telcos and that the telecom industry had been deregulated.

The two senators said that the NTC had the power to set rates that were “reasonable and fair” otherwise it should be abolished.

Fire him!
“My goodness, sir, if you have been in the commission for a long time, I will kick you out if I were the president,” Enrile said. “The way you’re answering, we will recommend that you be fired,” he added.

Arroyo told Mallillin, who had been on the job for just two months, that “the moment you have a franchise, it makes an industry a regulated industry.”
Collusion suspected

Senators were surprised to find out from Mallillin that the NTC and the telecom industry had not disagreed on the rates.

“You mean at no time that NTC and telcos did not disagree? That smacks of ...” Arroyo trailed off.............

Asked by reporters later, Roxas said: “I strongly suspect some collusion and understanding because how else can you explain the lax regulation by NTC.”

To read complete article click here 6/25/09 Philippine Inquirer