PLDT CHIEF PANGILINAN EYES PAL, GMA
NETWORK
MANILA, MARCH 9
2012 (ABS-CBN) By Coco Alcuaz - Philippine Long Distance
Telephone (PLDT) chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, (photo) who got
anti-monopoly flak when he bought Digitel last year, is reportedly on the prowl
for bigger acquisitions.
While he's bidding for tollways and buying hospitals, the two reported
targets that have generated the most buzz are Philippine Airlines and GMA
Network.
Pangilinan says PAL may have its problems -- it lost $33 million from April
to December last year and is subject to the same problems all airlines face. But
he's interested because of its brand.
"Yeah, I've asked myself that question a lot of times. I can see where PAL
does need a bit of help. I guess for the sake of the country, it's been a huge
brand name internationally because when you do step in, when you're living
abroad and when you step into a PAL plane, the Filipino experience is there
already. I think that's something that our countrymen misses quite a bit.
Sayang, ang feeling ko lang," he said in an interview with ANC.
The speculation about GMA has fueled a 40% jump in its stock this year.
Pangilinan declined to elaborate much, citing disclosure rules that govern
public companies, but he was clear he wished he already owned it.
"2001, if I recall correctly was P14 billion. It's just that Home Cable came
ahead of GMA-7 by a few months. In 2001 and 2002, PLDT was not in good shape. If
GMA came in first, I think we would have chosen GMA. But that's fate," he said.
Pangilinan said there have been preliminary talks and GMA has said it's
flattered by his interest, though he has offered no price.
When asked how does one have talks with no price, Pangilinan gave a smile:
"Yes, that's the real genius I think... I think both are public companies, so
you must appreciate that it's rather difficult to comment."
If he is interested, Pangilinan needs to move fast before Congress passes an
anti-monopoly law that got a boost from his purchase of Digitel last year.
Some government officials have privately expressed concern about Pangilinan
and San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang, controlling much of the country's
infrastructure and economy.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, President Aquino's anti-monopoly point
person, declined to comment on Pangilinan potentially controlling both TV-5 and
GMA Network, saying it was still speculative.
"We will have to work with the sectoral regulators concerned on the issue of
'controlling too much.' We need to advocate and build a culture of competition
in the country to ensure consumers and end-users are benefited. Businesses big
and small will also benefit in the long run," de Lima said.
In general, she said the government still needs to figure out when an
industry player is too big, while advocating competition to serve consumers.
In infrastructure, Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson said
it bids out projects, which has brought in the Ayala Group, via the Daang Hari
project.
"We will conduct transparent process for our projects. In fact Daang Hari
brought in Ayala Corp. as a new player in tollroads... Metro Pacific and San
Miguel are more aggressive and bullish specially on infra projects and they see
long term investment potentials," said Singson.
They - and Pangilinan and Ang's rivals - may take comfort in Pangilinan
saying he may not have the energy to take on PAL.
"I don't know, I don't know. I have businesses to run and I'm not sure I have
the stamina or age to tackle a business as big as PAL," he said.
He didn't say the same about GMA.
The interview with PLDT chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan
will be aired on ANC Business Nightly on March 8 (Thursday) at 9 p.m.
ABS-CBNnews.com and ANC are both owned by ABS-CBN,
which competes with TV-5 and GMA Network.
Making the Mining Industry Work for the Philippines
Posted at 03/03/2012 10:26 PM | Updated as of 03/04/2012 9:52 PM
by Manny V. Pangilinan
CLICK THE LINK BELOW FOR The
speech of Mr. Pangilinan, chairman of Philex Mining Corp. at the Conference on
Mining's Impact on the Philippine Economy and Ecology held on March 2, 2012 at
the Hotel Intercontinental Manila.
Joint
FINEX MAP PCCI Mining Conference (030212)
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved
PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/phnotweet
This is the PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE (PHNO) Mailing List.
To stop receiving our news items, please send a blank e-mail addressed to: phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Please visit our homepage at: http://www.newsflash.org/
(c) Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------
