Palace: No more deadline for selection of third telco player

President Rodrigo Duterte will no longer set a deadline for the entry of a third telecommunications player in the country, Malacañang said Thursday.

"Wala na po siyang deadline na sinet. Basta ang deadline niya, March, then it was not met, then as soon as possible," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said at a news conference.

Whether or not the President was displeased by the delay, Roque said "that's the reality."

"What can he do? At least he prompted that actual steps be undertaken leading to the announcement in June. Had he not exercise the political will, we would still have bickering from the two, the duopoly and machinations and orchestrations against the third telecom," the Palace official said.

Roque's remarks came after the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) pushed back the announcement to either end of June or early July.

The country's telecom industry is considered a duopoly dominated by rivals PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc., prompting calls for a third telco player to improve services and lower costs for consumers.

The DICT has assured the announcement will be made before Duterte's State of the Nation Address on July 23.  — Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News