By Erwin Oliva
INQUIRER.net
FILIPINO tech blogger Abe Olandres wanted to jump out of his seat and explain to senators the technical aspects of the controversial national broadband network (NBN) project, as he watched the live broadcast of Thursday’s Senate hearing.
In his recent entry, Olandres wrote:
[I've] been watching the live broadcast of the Senate hearing over the National Broadband Network Project for the last 7 hours and I must say that despite the politics behind the issue, I was more frustrated with the Senators asking repetitive questions and making non-sense tech-related conclusions (that goes to Manuel “Mar” Roxas and Richard “Dick” Gordon).
Olandres was among the local bloggers who are weighing in on the issues surrounding the NBN project.
Olandres, better known online by his nick yuga, did not mince words, as he openly expressed his frustration.
It’s just frustrating to realize that such a technological leap forward is marred with corruption and politics. I was jumping on my seat itching to explain to our dear senators the difference between WiMAX, 3G, CDMA2000 and satellite technologies or why the last mile is the most problematic and costly even to the existing private telcos. But, such is life in this country.
Filipino activist and techie Anthony Ian Cruz also shared the same sentiments in his blog entry.
I think Yugatech is justified in bewailing the ignorance of our lawmakers on the project. I agree with him that we need a broadband network. It is really important and countries such as Singapore plan to have one soon. Australia, according to one study, obtained immense benefits from their own broadband network.
Just like the question posed by Senator Francis Escudero during the hearing, Cruz asked,
Do we need [NBN] so badly that we are ready to obtain more than $300-million in new debts to the Chinese government? Is the ZTE contract truly beneficial to the people? Aren’t there other, cheaper ways of setting it all up?
I can’t believe that the ZTE is the best deal we could get now. True, we live in an archipelagic country and this may be a major factor in the huge bill for a national broadband network, but since technology is getting faster and cheaper at the same time, we might as well look for the truly best deal. There must be other options that are more favorable to the Philippines and that should be protected from the government officials and their relatives who salivate for more money at our expense.
The blog Tek for the Pipol (Tech for the People) of Computer Professionals Union member Rick Bahague, said the NBN project is “really about who will get the kickbacks.”
In her blog entry Broadband scam and the legacy of martial law, Carol Araullo wrote that the public is witnessing a “single corruption scandal” that is opening up a can of worms:
Comelec Chair Abalos’ undeniable involvement leads back to the entire ‘Hello Garci’ episode and charges of systematic, massive fraud attending the 2004 presidential and even the recent mid-term elections held under Mr. Abalos’ watch. What’s more, the First Gentleman’s fingerprints on the NBN deal could lead directly to Mrs. Arroyo and could thus be very damaging
Biology student Nina Bumanglag, in her blog Underside was not convinced that Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza was telling the truth:
If NBN is indeed a contract, then JDV3 [Jose De Venecia III] could be telling the truth. If NBN isn’t, then JDV3 is lying. But since Mendoza couldn’t defend the NBN’s nature, then I’ll have my money on JDV3.
September 22nd, 2007 at 11:00 am
LES,
Di ba ninakaw ang contract sa hotel sa China pa lang?
Walang maipakitang contract si Mendoza but Pres Gloria was saying that the contract will be honored. Now what is this contract all about then as different from supplier agreement? Di ba ito ang kasunduan na ZTE nga ang magpapa-loan ng $300M para sa NBN project? Isn’t this the contract where Pres Gloria went to China to witness the signing? And isn’t this amount too big to add to an already debt-saddled country like ours for a cyber-superhighway that will only duplicate what is already done by PLDT/Smart and Globe?
Enlighten us because it seems you know a lot. Maybe, you can expound on the nitty-gritty of these government transactions with ZTE that we, mere mortals fail to grasp. At least we can stop huffing and puffing. Sayang ang energy.
I cannot imagine myself paying more taxes as our family income is shrinking fast vs. very expensive cost of living. Raising taxes is the only means of this government to recover from bad impression of creditors, instead of vigilant collection from BIG BUSINESSMEN.
September 22nd, 2007 at 10:46 am
Yes, I’m another techno-ignorant bystander who looks beyond the supposed to be benefits of this cyber-superhighway and is so flabbergasted with the $300M cost of the project, utang pa yan ha, that I, my children and the generations after him are going to pay in taxes.
Actually its not the amount that shocked me but the kickbacks that made it so big. I think nangyari ang ousting-try kay de Venecia para di na ito mabulgar, kaya lang di nga nila napatalsik. I think ang gulong ito nagsimula lang because hindi patas ang hatian ng kickbacks. Kahit di ko kilala yang Joey III na yan, I believe him more compared to Abalos, Mendoza, FG, etc.
But have you noticed lately how our government treated its citizens like unthinking fools? They have really taken to believe we are so naive just because we don’t run to the streets anymore. They thought we are too sick and tired to howl again in protest.
God always has the perfect plan. Let’s see how the presidential couple twist in the wind. This is yet to be the best scandal the couple has cooked up for themselves.
And Luli! What has happened to this girl? What if someone comes out as well and points out Mikey’s facial tic is from drugs he abused 20 years ago?
Tama ba ito: “What God wants to destroy, He first make mad.”
September 22nd, 2007 at 10:32 am
Isa akong sumusubaybay dyan sa anomalyang BNN na yan..Tama lang marahil ang ginawang pag bubunyag ni JDV na anak ng speaker sa kongreso.mas kapani paniwala talaga ang mga paliwanag nya,,,Yun naman mga sangkot sa kabinete ay kakatawa naman ang mga sagot sa interview at mga nabubulol sila ,Iyan ay magandang ehemplo sa anak ni JVD,,walang takot,marunong magmalasakit sa bayan,,Alam nyang nasa tama sya gaya ng sabi ng ama nya.ihayag mo katotohanan at di kita pipigilan,wika ng ama,,
September 22nd, 2007 at 9:29 am
Sus!!!! Ano ng nangyayari sa bansang PILIPINAS?,,Bilyong bilyong pera ang nawawala sa kaban ng bayan ,bagkus,yun mga corruptors sa gobyerno e, nagpapakasasa sa buhay nila kasama pamilya.Nakakaawa yung mga taong kumakain lang ng isang beses sa isang araw na mahihirap at dukhang ,kulang sa kaalaman.Mananagot kayo sa DIYOS, sa mga gawa ninyo,,Ang batas sa atin ,binaboy na ng mga may kapangyarihan na nasa pwesto.Palakasan,,pagkasilaw sa pera,,,Wala na silng kinikilalang Diyos;pansariling kapakanan na lamang ang laman halos ng pusot,isipan nila.sa ibang bansa pag ang isang politiko ay napaugnay sa isang katiwalian,,,nagreresign agad,,,sa bansang pilipinas,hindi,,,bagkus super denial sila,,gagaling,kakapal,,,,Matakot kayo sa Diyos,may Diyos pa mga corruptors.
September 22nd, 2007 at 7:38 am
please visit this link for the paper two UP professors wrote expressing their assessment of the NBN deal:
http://www.aer.ph/pdf/papers/Lacking_a_backbone_Fabella_deDios.pdf