Duterte threatens Smart, Globe: Improve services by December or else

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday called on public services providers, particularly telecommunications companies Smart Communications Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc., to improve their services before the end of the year or else have their properties expropriated.

In his State of the Nation Address (SONA), Duterte threatened that he would find a way to work with Congress to have them out of the industry should they fail to improve.

"Kindly improve the services before December. I want to call Jesus Christ to Bethlehem. Better have that line cleared," he said.

"The next two years will be spent improving the telecommunications of the country without you. I will talk to Congress and find a way how to do it," the President said.

Aside from Smart and Globe, the Philippines is now awaiting the entry of the third telecom player Dito Telecommunity Corp., backed by businessman Dennis Uy, one of Duterte's backers during his presidential bid in 2016.

"I'll be straight. Itong Smart pati itong Globe, ilang taon na ito at ang sagot palagi sa akin, 'The party cannot be reached.' Eh nasaan pala pumunta 'yung yawa na 'yon?" he said.

"Eh kung ganon lang naman, ibigay ninyo sa amin, we are a republic, a Sovereign country, bear that in mind, because the patience of the Filipino is reaching its limit at I will be the one to articulate the anger of the Filipino people and you might not want what I intend to do to you," he added. — DVM, GMA News