Pinoy bloggers weigh in on NBN controversy

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.

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