The ZTE Broadband Network Deal

BIG DEAL
by Reymundo Salao

By now, even the most oblivious and the most naïve should know that. If there is one thing we have found out about the recent National Broadband Network Deal, or also infamously known as the ZTE Controversy, is that it has reinforced the notion that there really are government officials/entities/subgroups who would just focus on projects that are really unnecessary for the government and the nation, its purpose is purely for kickback.

It was in the Senate Hearing investigating the NBN Deal that Sen. Richard Gordon and Sen. Mar Roxas have stressed out the points on how this NBN Deal really is unnecessary to the country, and is only a terrible waste of taxpayer’s money. Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, with her usual overpowering retort, even went so far as to offend the Chinese community, which she later apologized for. And of course, how could we leave out the revelation that no less than the President’s husband is involved with this nasty deal. There have already been too many controversies and “unofficial”, unpublished stories of how notorious the First Gentleman really is. And it seems that this involvement with the NBN Deal is just one of them. The typical Juan De la Cruz would ask “Is he really the corrupt, greedy fat pig that some claim him to be?”

Truly, the NBN Deal is really unnecessary and irrelevant to the country. I would like to have this analogy; You live in a very poor family that can hardly afford basic necessities, not enough food is being provided, the electricity in your house is always cut off, you have several leaks in your ceiling, you have a sickly sister that needs regular medication, medication that cannot even be provide for regularly because medicines are not cheap, then you have a brother who is unruly and always gets into fights, your mother works as an employee for foreigners, she is always so nice to them, in return, the foreigners would sometimes give her extra tips, but they would never see your mother as something higher than a laborer, they would never give her the promotion that she wants. You’re sure that your mother can make it in starting her own little business, but she never chooses to do so, because she enjoys just being a foreigner’s servant. And here comes your father, who also works for foreigners, he has bought one of those flashy new camera-celfones that cost around P50,000. A celfone that really is unnecessary, since you and your family members already have celfones. Sure, the celfones you have are not as flashy and as high-tech than this new celfone your father bought, but still, your celfones can do the same thing; send text messages and call. He bought it from his Chinese boss; the payment would be his salary. That means he wouldn’t be able to pay for food on the family table, not until he fully pays the celfone.

This family is the Filipino people, our heads just seem to be content with being servants to foreigners, that’s why we rely too much on foreign investors rather than making visionary projects that seek to work FOR the Filipino, and is made BY THE FILIPINO. That new flashy celfone is the NBN Deal. Sure, it’s new and it’s high-tech, but eventually, in a matter of a few years, it will still be obsolete. It’s flashy, it’s more efficient, but eventually, it does the same thing as any cheap 500-peso celfone that the family already has.

With the advances in technology, there already exist many available tools (some are even free) that the government can already use in order to have an efficient government network. What would a foreign company do that Filipino experts cannot achieve? Does the government not have faith in the prowess of Filipino computer experts? A Filipino authored that computer virus known as the “I Love You” virus some years ago that caused the global internet community to tremble for a while. Recently, unbeknownst to the general public, there even has been another malware (a sort of virus too, this malware is known to spread via USB Flash Disks)) that was authored by somebody from Iloilo, his little infamy is noted in various online net forums that discuss computer virus control. The Filipino online community is one of the most active in the world. And for sure, our computer experts come in vast numbers. We have THAT already; we don’t need to run to the Chinese. Not unless the reason for running to the Chinese is to get some kickback from the deal.

To be noted also, in having deals with foreign companies, our government usually forgets (or do they choose to forget?) that they never do it for a purely charitable purpose. Ultimately, they always have an agenda that would benefit THEM MORE THAN US. We’re dealing with the Chinese here, (probably) the most shrewd, most clever businessmen in the world; it’s not exactly “missionary work” what they do. Oh, and another thing; a point that one of the senators (I think it was Sen. Gordon) has expressed in the Senate hearing; In so doing with this NBN Deal with China, we would be letting China have access to our government files. China is one of the world superpowers; God only knows what they can do with that kind of access. We already have the other superpower, America, bullying us, and treating us like dogs of servitude… we don’t need another one.