Group launches ‘turn off phone’ protests

DAVAO CITY—An anti-monopoly group has launched a nationwide campaign to convince consumers to turn off their mobile phones for an hour on the day of the President’s State of the Nation Address to protest what it said was an emerging monopoly in the telecommunications sector.

“Speak up by turning off your phone,” Jess Sandow, convenor of the Samahang Laban sa Monopolyo (Slam), urged consumers, as he called on the government to address the growing dominance of big players in the industry.

He said his group would go around the country to urge consumers to turn off their mobile phones for an hour—from noon to 1 p.m.—during the President’s Sona on July 26 as a “statement” against monopolies in the telecom industry.

He said the industry was now being monopolized by few big players, but the situation was projected to worsen with the impending merger of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and the Digitel Sun-Cellular.

“They won’t get hurt, but they’ll feel how it is when consumers take action,” he said.

Epee Casuncad, another Slam convenor, said the unchecked practice of big companies cornering frequencies when they buy out small telecom firms had limited public access to efficient telecom services.

Frequencies are obtained through franchises from Congress and these should not be cornered by a few, he said.

Casuncad said the practice had limited consumer access to efficient and affordable telecom services. “We have been used to monopolies that’s why nobody complains,” he said.

“Once a monopoly exists, the free market ceases to exist and consumers no longer have choices,” Casuncad said.

He said monopoly used to be the mark of doing business under the Marcos dictatorship, but should not have any place in a democracy.

Sandow said his group wanted to encourage mobile phone users (nine out of 10 Filipinos use cellular phones) to support them in the campaign.

He said the group was addressing its call to the National Telecommunications Commission to “do its job” and ensure that “these frequencies should be given to the free market.”

He warned mobile phone users to be vigilant. “They start by killing and gobbling up small companies and once these small companies are gone, their dominance will allow them to dictate prices,” Casuncad said.