PLDT raises concerns over provisions in Konektadong Pinoy Act

MANILA, Philippines — Telco giant PLDT Inc. has expressed concerns over certain provisions in the proposed Konektadong Pinoy Act.

PLDT senior legal advisor to the chairman Marilyn Aquino said there are features in the Konektadong Pinoy bill that could be exploited and could result in ruinous competition.

“For example, the telcos like us remain obligated to build infrastructure to support and to improve the service to our subscribers. There is no such obligation imposed on new entrants that are involved in data transmission,” Aquino said during PLDT’s annual stockholders’ meeting yesterday.

“They can come in, and the law opens all our assets to them for open access. So where is the symmetry there? What will it take for us to continue building, to follow our obligation under our franchise, to build infrastructure, if the infrastructure that we will build will just be open to these foreign players immediately? So that’s what we want to avoid,” she said.

Aquino said PLDT welcomes increased competition, but the competition must be fair and sustainable.

She said competition that could be ruinous and may harm subscribers must be avoided.

Aquino said another aspect they want to avoid is allowing satellite operators to use frequencies and spectrum and to operate in the country’s sovereign territory without the same obligations that are imposed on telcos.

She said telco communication is very sensitive and an industry imbued with public interest, which is why the government has the right to take over temporary control over telco assets and operations in case of national emergency and in case of national security.

“While we applaud the effort to try to improve competition, it cannot be at all cost. National security and sovereignty of the country must be protected at all costs also,” she said.

PLDT chairman, president and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan, on his end, said that PLDT is not anti-competition.

He said PLDT is also not asking for special favors or special protection from any external competitor, but is simply asking for a level playing field when it comes to competition.