TXTPower hits "Group of Seven"
Five solons and two telecom oligopolists

Sept. 7, 2001

THE GROUP TXTPower today asked the House leadership to investigate reports that five congressmen connived with telecom firms Globe-Ayala and
Smart-PLDT in "rendering useless and inutile any congressional initiative
favoring consumers".

"If the reports are true, then we have a Gang of Seven who are preying on
consumers. Congress should investigate these five dirty solons and two
oligopolists in the telecom industry who reportedly connived in exchange
for a paltry 10 million pesos," said TXTPower Spokesperson Anthony Ian Cruz.

"They are a disgrace to us and the people they have sworn to serve," said
Cruz.

However, Cruz said "we cannot name names since we really don't know what
exactly happened. But we of course noticed that nothing concrete came out
of the hearing, with the two firms using the House premises to announce
their plans to implement the cuts on free text on an installment basis."

Cruz added that the so-called Group of Five may have something to do with
pleas coming from several congressmen, asking us to forego with last
Saturday's national boycott against Globe and Smart.

"We were surprised because we are already victims of lousy services and set
to be victimized further by the much-assailed cuts on free text. Yet some
solons instead asked us to stop our protests and practically sided with the
supposed subjects of the House investigation," said Cruz, referring to the
Aug. 30 public hearing by the Committee on Transportation and
Communications.