PLDT denies being cause of delay

MANILA, Philippines - Dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) yesterday denied being the cause of delay in the transmission of election returns, saying its networks are working.

The PLDT Group issued a statement reiterating that the networks of Smart Communications Inc. and Sun Cellular of Digital Telecommunications of the Philippines Inc. (Digitel) are up to speed.

“With respect to press reports that weak signals had caused delays in the transmission of election returns, we wish to state that the fixed and mobile networks of PLDT, Smart and Sun Cellular were fully functional throughout the electoral exercise,” PLDT said.

PLDT said its networks promptly delivered election returns to the servers of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) in Manila.

PLDT added that nearly 80 percent of the election results were successfully transmitted 12 hours after the polling precincts were closed during the May 2010 general elections.

“From a purely telecoms standpoint, there is no reason why a similar, if not better, result should have been achieved in 2013,” PLDT said.

PLDT also noted Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr.’s statement during his press conference last Wednesday that weak signals were not the major reason for the slow transmission of election returns.

The PLDT Group is spending about P29 billion for its capital expenditures this year or 20 percent lower than the P36.4 billion in 2012. The company completed its P67.1-billion network modernization program last year.