At the Kasetsart University in Bangkok, where he was conferred with an honorary doctorate in economics on Friday, the President said his administration’s policies are “transparent, reliable, focused—and intensely focused at that—on serving the people” and “is the philosophy that informs my decisions as a leader of my country.”

“Let me cite for you two examples of this. In the area of telecommunications where there has recently been a series of acquisitions and mergers which we feel could lead to concentration of power in the telecoms industry. We are taking steps to prevent that concentration by imposing regulation. We still firmly believe that monopolies are inherently inefficient,” he said.

In a chance interview with reporters upon his return to Manila that night, the President was asked where he was specifically referring to the merger when he made the comment on monopolies in Bangkok.

He replied, “Does it really afford them an undue advantage?  We promised a level playing field and if that is the case, it results in just one entity then we’re back to the problem of our telecommunications before where it’s so difficult to get even the lines. So competition whether it’s in the telcos, in oil and others—it should redound to the benefit of our people.  That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Mr. Aquino said acting on complaints, he has asked the National Communications Commission and the Department of Science and Technology to look into the allegations, and is awaiting the findings.

(Mia M. Gonzalez)