By Roderick T. dela Cruz

MEDIAQUEST Holdings Inc., the media subsidiary of the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund, yesterday confirmed it is in talks to buy a controlling interest in the Philippine Star group of publications.

The PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund is a private fund controlled by the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. and intended to guarantee the payment of benefits due retiring employees of the telecommunications service provider.

Earlier, PLDT denied it had acquired The Star for an undisclosed amount, as reported in this paper.

But Jose Benjamin Fernandez, chief technology officer of Mediaquest Holdings, said in a statement that the company ?is in discussions with the Philippine Star Group for a possible investment.?

MediaQuest has interests in various media-related ventures including a controlling interest in Nation Broadcasting Corp., which operates a network of radio stations, a minority interest in Central CATV, which owns Sky Cable, and a 30-percent interest in the BusinessWorld newspaper.

MediaQuest also controls 360media, which has a direct-to-user license that allows it to broadcast via satellite and terrestrial wireless transmission mobile TV and direct-to-home services.

In a letter to the Philippine Stock Exchange yesterday, PLDT denied it had bought The Philippine Star, but was silent on the MediaQuest negotiations.

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte, the newspaper?s owner, confirmed his company was in negotiations with the PLDT group, but declined to provide details.