Globe pushes return of Konektadong Pinoy Act to Congress

MANILA, Philippines — With a few days left before the Konektadong Pinoy Act lapses into law, Globe Telecom has doubled down on industry calls to stop its passage, appealing before President Marcos to return it to Congress.

Globe general counsel Froilan Castelo yesterday asked the President to return the enrolled bill of the Konektadong Pinoy Act to Congress for further revision.

“We are advocating for universal access to affordable and reliable internet, (but) we believe this bill needs further study and reform,” Castelo said.

Castelo raised the telco industry’s longstanding concerns on the measure in requesting Marcos to pass it back to Congress. He said the Konektadong Pinoy Act, if signed into law, would promote regulatory imbalance, uneven competition and lack of transparency.

If the measure is returned to Congress, Castelo vowed Globe would be at the forefront of conversations in seeking regulatory safeguards in the revised version. This time, Globe is hoping lawmakers would consult telcos in legislation to ensure their inputs are included in the measure.

“If this bill has been returned to Congress, we will be in support of it,” Castelo said.

The Philippine Chamber of Telecommunication Operators (PCTO), of which Globe is a part of, is asking the President to veto the Konektadong Pinoy Act, insisting its lapses would be difficult to patch up in the implementing rules and regulations.

In a text message to The STAR, PCTO vice president Roy Ibay said the fate of the Konektadong Pinoy Act is now up to Marcos. He can sign it, veto it or let it lapse into law on Aug. 24.

The PCTO opposes the Konektadong Pinoy Act because it mandates new connectivity players to get a cybersecurity certification only after two years. The group believes this is a security let-up, warning that data breaches can happen even on the first day of business.

Likewise, the PCTO challenges the technology neutrality of the measure when it permits satellite operators to use spectrum without regulation.