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Reyes cautions against suing MTC
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Posted on May 03 2000
Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes yesterday slammed an attempt to renew litigation against the Micronesian Telecommunications Corporation to force CNMI’s lone domestic phone service provider to stop charging toll fees for inter-island calls.
“The timing is very bad. It almost appears hostile against the company,” he told in an interview from Rota where he joined other local leaders in inaugurating the first ever cellular service in the island municipality.
GTE Pacifica, which owns MTC, recently built its new cellular site on Rota to provide residents with the mobile phone service which has been in operations on Saipan and Tinian for several years now.
According to Mr. Reyes, CNMI officials should welcome efforts by the phone company to upgrade its services in the Commonwealth instead of filing a lawsuit to demand other provisions.
The Attorney General’s Office reportedly has drawn up the suit to finally force MTC to comply with the laws regarding installation of fiber optics in the CNMI following a two-year suspension to allow for negotiations between the two parties.
“I think the announcement and the timing of the lawsuit is in poor taste,” said the senator, noting that MTC has been trying to provide services to island residents at par with those in the U.S. mainland.
“At a time when we should be demonstrating a partnership with MTC, it is very sad… We should be resorting to diplomatic dialogue…and try to resolve this the island way,” added Mr. Reyes.
