New Bicolano SEC commissioner

Malacanang Executive Sec. Eduardo Ermita announces the selection of Atty. Manuel B. Gaite to be the Security and Exchange Commissioner (SEC,) a replacement of Jesus Martinez who retired last week. He said Gaite’s appointment papers are still to be signed by the president.

It’s Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo’s choice that Gaite takes over the post vacated by Martinez who left with charges that he was bribed and given lavish gifts by a firm connected with controversial the Legacy Group. As result of the collapse of Legacy under the headship of Celso de los Angeles, 50,000 pre-need plan holders are left in limbo.

Ermita believes Gaite who is from Baao, Camarines Sur is well-qualified having served as the deputy executive secretary of legal affairs. The public recalls the incoming SEC secretary is the “good Samaritan” to whistle-blower Rodolfo Lozada, the star witness to the $329 million NBN-ZTE broadband deal scandal. He lent Lozada P500,000 for his trip to Hongkong. (Photo Credit: WN/ Manila Times/ Renzelle Mae Abosolo)=0=

UPDATE: It is said that the controversial appointment of Gaite is not yet final. Despite Malacanang’s favorable endorsements, there are critics like Sen. Mar Roxas who assert Gaite has questionable integrity based on his involvement in the NBN-ZTE scandal. The senator believes the appointment is Gloria Arroyo’s reward in helping silence Lozada. Roxas speaks of the Securities Regulation Code (SEC) on the qualifications of commissioners, which stimpulate that they “must be of good moral character, of unquestionable integrity, of known probity and patriotism, and with recognized competence.”—GMA News. TV (03/16/09, Balagtas-See, A)

==========================================================

Are ZTE Equipment Lemons?

In the again-failed impeachment attempt, one of the proffered evidence was former Speaker Joe de Venecia’s revelations regarding the aborted NBN-ZTE deal(NBN means National Broadband Network; a network that will connect all government facilities through the Net). With the impeachment attempt’s failure my attention was caught why ZTE was the chosen supplier.

I have using two ZTE equipment, my wireless (landline) phone and my Internet modem. I had my DSL modem changed last week after I complained to my ISP (Internet Service Provider) which is Bayantel. For the last month or so I have been suffering from frequent interruption of Net connections and difficulty in accessing my ISP. Some of my work is lost when I press the ‘Send’ button without checking if the connection is active. Also, it is frustrating to always see the message ‘This website is not available’.

A guy came, a contractor for Bayantel. As an outside contractor it seems he is freer to speak up. Told me, “Palitan natin ang modem” (Let’s change the modem.) Good that I asked what is the problem with my modem. Turned out that the ZTE modem is a lemon and they are inundated with complaints and just to avoid the hassle of servicing they just change the unit.

I am now using an old modem which is not ZTE and it is working just fine. The lesson I want to share is that not all modems are created equal. That what the guy told me. “Patakbuhin, sir,” (It’s a lemon), he told me. So if you are not satisfied with your Internet connection maybe it is time to have your modem checked.

I have also a ZTE wireless phone, the tabletop model. My experience? After three weeks I can’t use the scroll function so I can’t access a lot of functions. The customer service representative told me, “You can’t press the scroll key too hard with a ZTE unit. We’ve got lots of problems with it”. I turned it in for servicing which took one month.

I know from use that my ZTE wireless phone is a weak unit and possibly another lemon. It does not have the sturdiness in construction like the landline units of Globe, PLDT and Bayantel or like the ATT Bell phones. It even feels too light.

Its battery charge lasts barely a day. I expect the time will come when I can no longer use it unless it is permanently plugged to an electric socket like an old laptop whose battery has ran down.

So if the broadband deal was not aborted, probably we would have been swamped with ZTE equipments that needs servicing and replacement now and then.

So it seems it is the reason why that deal needs a lot of “tongpats”.