By Emmie V. Abadilla
Legislators still need to formally approve the franchise of the country’s third telco. The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) ordered the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to get Congress approval for the franchise of New Major Player (NMP) bid winner, Mislatel.
The House of Representatives still need to formally adopt the Senate Resolution on the transfer of ownership of Mislatel before the NMP title holder can obtain its Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) from the NTC, stressed Acting DICT Secretary Eliseo M. Rio Jr.,
“The DICT is instructing NTC to exercise prudence by requesting the House to issue a formal declaration stating it does not object to the Senate Resolution, prior to the issuance of the CPCN to Mislatel Consortium,” according to his statement.
Although a bicameral procedure is not necessary to address the matter, Rio insisted it is best to wait for the official act of the Lower House out of respect for the legislative process.
“Until this is done, in order not to preempt Congress and in due regard to the separation of powers of the legislative and the executive, the DICT cannot take further action on the matter,” he concluded.