The Senate President is scammed

The issue or complaint on the disappearing cellphone loads is gaining ground these days. This was given due attention yesterday. It was no less than the SENATE who called for an investigation of this issue. People from giant mobile providers and officials from the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) were invited to the inquiry.

Disappearing load credits of cellphone users became a hit issue because it’s present victim is the Senate President, Juan Ponce Enrile. Even the president, before leaving for travel abroad, had directed NTC to look into the matter.

Many ordinary Filipinos and consumers had been prey to this scam of mobile providers. This issue had been reported in the two giant television station years ago yet NTC had not taken an action. I believe that many complaints had already been lodged at the lobby of NTC but they remain unresponsive to these complaints. 

The ordinary consumers first filed their complaints at mobile providers consumer representatives but the answer is always “you have subscribed to infotext, ring tone services, etc..” This was even emphasized by the lawyer of this giant mobile service provider when she said that the load of the Senate President got drained because his mobile number  was subscribed to a ring tone service.  We have heard these reasons long before that is why complaints were elevated to NTC. But there was inaction on their part. Cellphone companies were only penalized with P200.00-P500.00 per violation. Is that reasonable? Mobile phone consumers even spend P300.00 of load every week.

NTC excuse that “it was what is provided by the law” is unacceptable. NTC has remissed on their mandate to protect the consuming public. If the law provides this slap on the butt fines then they should have asked and lobby congressmen and senators to pass or amend the law that will give stiff penalties to the misconducts of these telcos.

There is no need to wait for a time that a senator, a congressman or a higher ranking official of the land to get victim of this scam before NTC will take its move. A complaint filed by one or two ordinary consumers should warrant an investigation of the concerned agency, which in this case is NTC.

If all the government agencies,like NTC, will work and respond in this manner in issues that concern consumers then we are not going nowhere. Bigger businesses will prey on ordinary people in quest for profit. This should not be happening.