ILOILO City – Telecommunications companies here have no capability to confine a mobile phone signal jam in specific areas only.
This became apparent in yesterday’s consultative meeting with telcos, Philippine National Police and National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) called by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) committee on public utilities.
The telcos, however, were not candid about this during an SP hearing on the planned signal shutdown for the recent Dinagyang Festival.
This led the city government to disseminate wrongful information about the Dinagyang signal jamming on Jan. 21 and 22, lamented Councilor Sedrey Cabaluna.
Instead of being confined in specific festival areas only as announced by the city government, the loss of mobile phone signal during the Dinagyang reached nearby Iloilo towns and even the island province of Guimaras, angering the public.
“We were not informed. Kulang ang information halin sa inyo (telcos). Amo na ang gap,” said Cabaluna.
The SP endorsed to NTC the city police’s recommendation for signal jamming in specific Dinagyang areas.
With such endorsement, NTC ordered telcos on Jan. 6, 2023 to temporarily cut off network services in Dinagyang event areas on Jan. 21 to 22 at a specific time.
But because telcos did not have jamming devices, the only way for them to comply with that directive was to temporarily shut down/cut off all cell sites serving the identified areas.
“What happened was not (signal) jamming (but) a shutdown or cutoff (of mobile signal),” said Atty. Deo Virgil Tan, legal officer of NTC-6.
Had such information been provided, the city council, too, “could have made a better decision…Ginhimu niyo kami butigon,” said Cabaluna.
“Telcos do not possess jamming devices because there is a law prohibiting it… (but) because the commission directed them that no signal (should be) directed or reflected within identified sectors/areas, they shut down their cell sites (to comply with the order),” Tan said.
“Sa inyo (telcos) dapat maghalin ang information nga indi kaya ang gina-propose nga (pocket signal) jamming,” said Calabuna.
For his part, Councilor Nick Baronda said, “Tani naghambal kamo sa committee hearing. We thought it was doable. Kon naghambal kamo that it could not be done, nag-decide kami lain. Ti, ang natabu we were misinformed,” Baronda said.
Technically, according to Tan, jamming devices are illegal unless exempted by the commission.
“We have one here at (the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Barangay) Nanga (Pototan, Iloilo) but it’s a permanent jamming device located in a permanent jamming place in a permanent structure for purposes of security,” Tan said./PN
