Twenty months after being forced to divest his listed business holdings, bilyonaryo Roberto V. Ongpin still can’t seem to get on the good graces of President Rodrigo Duterte even with the help of the latter’s crony, Dennis Uy.
In a recent speech, Duterte blamed the former Marcos trade minister for being the supplier of the idle frequencies hoarded by the Smart and Globe duopoly.
“But apparently itong — I will not mention names… ?Yung magagandang linya it was in the hands of this wheeler-dealer who was there every administration,” said Duterte alluding Ongpin’s cat-like ability to thrive in all presidents after the downfall of his dictator-friend Ferdinand Marcos.
“These two giants (Smart and Glolbe) actually got it from this wheeler-dealer (Ongpin), bought it a price. So wala naman akong ano diyan, negosyo ?yan eh. But if it is given for free, and it was sold to them by this idiot (Ongpin), then they acquired the lines that at a price. Sabi ni Secretary (Eliseo Rio), magbayad daw ako,” he added.
Duterte refused to give in to Smart-Globe’s demand squeeze more morey from the government for the idle frequencies for use by Dutrte’s handpicked third telco player. Instead, he threatened to send the tax man to open their books and throw their owners down the stairs.
?Tell those fucking idiots I?m going to give them exactly three days. ‘Isauli ninyo ?yang putang ina kung hindi arestuhin ko kayo’. Even if their arrest is illegal. Just for show, I will go to your office and place a handcuff on you. Pag idinemanda mo ako, eh ihulog kita sa hagdanan. Ganun ?yan. Alam mo ganun lang eh,” said Duterte who got his way after Smart and Globe quickly returned the idle frequencies to government without compensation.
Duterte’s lingering bile against Ongpin is surprising not only because Ongpin has already divested his holdings in online gaming company, Philweb, to bilyonaryo Greggy Araneta for P2 billion shortly after Ongpin was targeted in a series of expletive-ridden speeches by Duterte against oligarchs.
But also because Ongpin has made an effort to get on the good side of Duterte through Uy who was appointed as director in Alphaland Corp, and vice chair of Atok Big Wedge, bothfirms owned by Ongpin.
Uy has likewise invested in Ongpin’s ISM Communications Corp. which has fueled rumors that the two would join forces to make a bid to become the third telo player to take down the Smart-Globe duopoly.