NTC fines telephone firm for ghost billions overcharging courtesy http://www.balita.org By Lydia C. Pendon ILOILO CITY Dec. 10 (PNA) - The giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) meets its match in a poor but disgruntled subscriber here who stood up to challenge and dare the firm for its erroneous billings, harassment and threat of phone disconnection. Proceso Jarobilla of Jaro, Iloilo City begun his crusade against the PLDT in 1993 and finally got his triumph this year when the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) declared PLDT "as having violated the provision of Sec. 19(b) of the Public Services Act (Act No. 146 as amended)." NTC also imposed a penalty of fine in the amount of P25,000 pursuant to Sec. 23 of the same Act. Iloilo City Councilor German Gonzales, chair of the committee on transportation and telecommunications, said the city council helped Jarobilla and 15 other PLDT subscribers in their complaints by passing Resolution 00362 in March 19, 2000 asking the NTC to expedite the consumers complaints against the telecommunications firm. It its December 1, 2000 decision on Administrative Case No. 96-102, NTC Commissioner Joseph A. Santiago and Deputy Commissioners Aurelio M. Umali and Nestor C. Dacanay declared "the complainants including Anita Wong not liable for the payment of respondent PLDT's unjustified and unwarranted telephone bills subject of the complaints, and that PLDT as having violated the provisions of Sec. 19(b) of the Public Services Act." A total of eight specific complaints were listed by NTC against the telephone firm. These cover the complained billing periods in 1995 to 1997 on ghost billings, overlapping of calls, excessive calls and unrealistic amount, inaccurate amounts, fraudulent charges, disorganized billings, failure to bar IDD calls despite notice, and prescribed and aged billings over 180 days. Aside from Jarobilla, those who file the complaint against PLDT were subscribers Daniel K. Barrido, Ariel B. Tolentino, Nestor Cejo, Benilda Lorca, P.J. Store, Miscellaneous Drug Store, Zenaida Dadal, Conchita Amaguin, Caesar Travina, Denia Madayag, Jose Antonio Muyuela, Azuena Labiano, Sandra Villanueva, Ma. Theresa Cruz and Elena Docdocil. (PNA) bfm/tly/lcp PNA 12101611