Duterte urges telcos to improve internet service with online classes set to start

MANILA, Philippines — “Can you do a better job?”

This was President Rodrigo Duterte’s appeal to telecommunication companies in a televised speech Monday night.

“With the classes going to start, our students will rely heavily on the use of electronics,” he said. “But the internal complaints — ever since telcos came into being. It has been the agony of the Filipino people why until now our telcos are very poor,” he said.

“I don’t know how to go about this,” he added. “May I just appeal to the telecommunications [firms]: Can you do a better job? Is there life after this kind of service that you’re delivering to the public?”

Many private schools have already opened for this school year shifting to online classes.

Classes for public schools, meanwhile, will open on Oct. 5  under a mostly modular learning system.

Despite scolding the telcos, Duterte admitted their expansion was being hindered by the requirements they would need to have before building cell towers.

“Let the telcos do their job. Allow them to build the structures, towers if you may — so that they could improve,” Duterte said, referring to local government units.

Previously, Duterte said he would show “no mercy” to LGUs hampering the issuance of cell tower permits. / atm