Inquirer.net has published a news story as well as a video report (embedded below) regarding the joint TXTPower-Telco Entrepreneurs Association press conference held this morning in Quezon City.

Here is the first part of the story filed by Inquirer.net reporter Thea Alberto:

Congress help sought in telecoms row
By Thea Alberto
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 19:29:00 11/24/2008

MANILA, Philippines — A group of cellular phone load dealers have asked the help of Congress to intervene in a telecommunication firm’s supposed plan to lay them off to shorten the chain of operations.

Consumer group TXTPower, along with Telco Entrepreneurs Association (TEA), claimed that Smart Communications Inc. was planning to dismiss thousands of electronic load dealers nationwide effective at the end of the month.

“Both the National Telecommunications Commission and the Department of Trade and Industry have told Smart electronic load [e-load] dealers that they do not have jurisdiction over their predicament, and so Congress must step in to fill the void, rescue these dealers from certain bankruptcy, and exercise their oversight functions on the franchises granted to Smart Communications and parent company PLDT [Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.],” said TXTPower president Anthony Ian Cruz.

Thank you too to PinoyGSM and PinoyPress. Both sites republished the TXTPower press release for today.