THE Office of the Ombudsman is looking into what it tagged as “ghost internet” involving billions worth of public funds.
In a press conference on Friday, September 18, Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said they have uncovered a scheme where the government is paying billions of pesos for information technology systems with very specific technical requirements that agencies need.
“Once the hardware, the machines, the routers are delivered and pass inspection, everyone assumes the software that's supposed to run on it is there as well, but nobody actually checks, and there comes the loophole,” he said.
“If you ask the people who received free Wi-Fi, there's really no Wi-Fi that comes out of it. So what they're installing is just the hardware,” he added.
Clavano said the investigation will center around the Department of Information and Communications Technology.
“The point of question or the subject of the investigation, the software, why doesn't that work? And we know that those contracts are paid in billions using the wealth of the people. Kaya parang niloloko na lang ‘yung taong bayan dahil sinasabi na may free internet, free Wi-Fi, yun pala naglalagay lang sila ng mga router, mga ano na wala namang lumalabas na internet,” he said.
(So it seems the people are just being deceived because they are told there is free internet, free Wi-Fi, but it turns out they are only installing routers and other equipment that do not actually provide internet.)
Clavano refused to divulge yet where these free Wi-Fi facilities are located. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)