Building a Business Empire with my Technological System

378  The Counter n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The headlines were relentless. Every major news outlet echoed the same sentiment: "Is Reyes Corporation a Monopoly?"

Michael sat at his desk, his eyes fixed on the reports flooding in from his PR team. The media smear campaign was just the beginning. His competitors weren't just playing the media game—they had turned to something far more dangerous: government regulation.

Juliet burst into his office once again, this time holding a stack of legal documents. Her expression was grim.

"They've done it," she said, handing over the papers. "The Philippine Competition Commission has launched an anti-trust investigation into Reyes Corporation. They're claiming we're violating the fair competition law."

Michael glanced at the documents in Juliet's hand, his mind already piecing together the next steps.

"The Philippine Competition Commission?" Michael repeated, frowning. "Tell me exactly what we're dealing with."

Juliet took a deep breath, ready to explain. "The Philippine Competition Commission, or PCC, is the government body responsible for promoting and maintaining fair competition in the market. Their job is to prevent monopolies, price-fixing, and any kind of anti-competitive practices that can harm consumers or small businesses. They have the authority to investigate companies like ours if they believe we're using our size or influence to stifle competition."

Michael's expression darkened as he leaned back in his chair. "So, they're saying Reyes Corporation is too big, too powerful, and we're not giving anyone else a fair chance."

"Exactly," Juliet replied. "The PCC can impose heavy fines, require us to divest some of our business units, or, in the worst-case scenario, even force us to break up the company if they think we're acting like a monopoly."

Michael's jaw tightened. He had heard about companies being investigated by the PCC before. Most had been caught off-guard, and the investigations dragged their business down for years, even if they didn't end up facing penalties. He knew this wasn't the first time the Philippine Competition Commission had gone after large companies, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

"They've done this before," Michael muttered. "Who have they targeted in the past?"

Juliet nodded, anticipating his question. "There have been several high-profile cases. For example, the PCC once launched an investigation into the telecommunications sector. They accused PLDT and Globe Telecom of trying to create a duopoly when they bought out the telecommunications assets of San Miguel Corporation."

Michael remembered the case. It was a drawn-out legal battle that put the spotlight on two of the country's biggest players. "I remember that. The PCC wanted to block the deal, saying it would reduce competition in the industry."

"Exactly," Juliet continued. "It took years for PLDT and Globe to resolve the issue, and in the end, they had to agree to certain conditions before the deal could push through. But the investigation slowed down their operations, and they had to deal with heavy scrutiny from regulators."

Michael nodded, understanding the strategy his competitors were using. "So, they're hoping to tie us up in something similar. Create enough noise to slow us down, even if we're not violating any laws."

"That's right," Juliet replied. "And there was another case with Urban Deca Homes, owned by 8990 Holdings. The PCC fined them for imposing an exclusive internet service provider on residents, which violated competition rules. It wasn't as high-profile as the PLDT-Globe case, but it showed that the PCC is willing to go after any company, big or small, if they see anti-competitive behavior."

Michael frowned. "What was the penalty?"

"They were fined over 27 million pesos," Juliet said. "Not a huge amount, but the damage to their reputation was significant. The PCC made it clear that they won't tolerate unfair competition practices."

Michael stood up, pacing his office. "So, we're looking at either a drawn-out investigation, like with PLDT and Globe, or fines and bad press, like Urban Deca. Either way, they're trying to hurt us, if not financially, then in terms of reputation."

Juliet nodded. "That's the play. The PCC doesn't need to bring us down all at once. Even just the investigation will slow our momentum."

Michael stopped pacing, his mind racing. "We'll cooperate with the investigation, but we'll also go on the offensive. We've done nothing wrong, and we've only improved competition in every sector we've entered."

Juliet agreed. "We'll show the

Juliet agreed. "We'll show them that we're not stifling competition, we're creating it. Just like in the energy sector, where our renewable energy projects have pushed traditional power providers to modernize. And in healthcare, our Medipod has forced other companies to innovate faster than they ever would have."

Michael's expression hardened. "We're not the problem. We're the solution. Let's make sure the public and the PCC understand that. Now back at the topic at hand, what does the PCC wants from us again?"

"Like I said earlier, they have launched an anti-trust investigation," Juliet continued. "They're asking for full access to our financial records, details on our market share in various sectors, and an explanation of how we've structured our recent acquisitions, including GCash. They're looking for anything they can use to claim we're abusing our position in the market."

Michael exhaled sharply. "So they want to comb through everything we've built, hoping to find cracks they can exploit."

"Exactly," Juliet nodded. "They're specifically interested in how we've integrated GCash with Reyes Bank and whether that merger limits competition in the digital banking sector. They're also looking into our partnerships in renewable energy, to see if we're creating barriers for smaller players."

"We've always played by the rules. But if they're determined to find something, they'll stretch the definition of what's anti-competitive."

Juliet frowned, flipping through the documents. "That's what makes this so dangerous. They don't need proof that we've done anything wrong. Just the investigation itself will make people question whether we're getting too big, too powerful."

Michael crossed his arms. "Then we make our case clear. Reyes Corporation has expanded because we innovate. We've pushed every industry we've entered to do better. And we haven't shut out anyone—we've forced them to compete at a higher level."

Juliet nodded in agreement. "We can put that narrative out there. But we need more than just PR. The legal team is already working on a formal response to the PCC. We'll need to provide them with every document they ask for, but we'll also make sure they see how Reyes Corporation has improved competition, not killed it."

"Good," Michael said firmly. "We'll cooperate, but we won't let them drag this out forever. I want this investigation resolved as quickly as possible. Get our legal team to keep the pressure on the PCC to move fast. And I want our PR team to highlight every job we've created, every industry we've revitalized."

Juliet nodded and added, "We'll also need to start preparing for the possibility of public hearings or a Senate inquiry. If this escalates, they might call you in to testify."

Michael's jaw clenched. "If they do, I'll be ready. They want to paint me as the bad guy. But we'll make sure the public sees the truth."