Arthur Fuentes

The facade of the PLDT building in Makati on May 09, 2019. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

PLDT HQ

Jekki Pascual

ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- Telco giant PLDT said it may challenge the constitutionality of the Konektadong Pinoy bill if it becomes a law.The said bill, which seeks to broaden internet access and reduce connectivity costs, is up for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s signature and may also lapse into law by August 24, 2025.At the PLDT First Half Financial and Operating Results press briefing, PLDT officials said they may go to court to question the legality of parts of the bill. PLDT Senior Vice President and Senior Legal Advisor to the Chairman Marilyn Victorio-Aquino said the bill discriminates against telco players who have invested in upgrading the country’s telco infrastructure.“We’re hoping that it will not be signed by the president into a law, but if it is signed into a law, then we have our option to go to court to raise the issues of constitutionality,” said Victorio-Aquino.The bill aims to make it easier for new players to enter the data transmission sector by removing the need to secure a legislative franchise and a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. This is meant to foster competition and bring down internet connectivity costs, which are among the highest in Southeast Asia.Some of the country&#x27;s largest business groups, including firms in the tech industry, support the bill.<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_ZAKahTeX-8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>But Victorio-Aquino said this means data transmission providers will be given benefits that are not being given to telcos.&quot;In a sense, there is discrimination against the telcos,” she said.The bill also says new players will be given access to digital infrastructure and services &quot;in an open, fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory basis.&quot;But Victorio-Aquino also said this was unfair to existing telcos.“You cannot ask us to open all our assets to your access and deprive our subscribers of the infrastructure that we built for them,” she said.The PLDT official added that the bill presents potential cybersecurity risks.“It opens the country to some security pressures, cybersecurity. Because within the first 2 years of the Open Access, the data service providers can access our assets without cybersecurity clearance.”PLDT Chairman Manny Pangilinan also questioned the bill.“We’re not asking for protection, just a level playing field naman. Papasok na lang sila dito tapos wala silang franchise requirement,” Pangilinan said.Other telco players also oppose the bill. Globe has also urged the President to return the bill to Congress. The Ayala-led telco said it supports the intent of the bill to make internet access more affordable and available, but there should be a level playing field.<div>UNFAIR? RISKY? OR PRO-COMPETITION? </div>The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), meanwhile, has backed the Konektadong Pinoy Bill, saying it incorporates &quot;competition principles into the country’s digital connectivity framework.&quot;In a statement published last July, the competition watchdog called the measure &quot;a landmark reform that will help build a more inclusive, competitive, and consumer-centric digital economy, where innovation and accessibility are driven by market competition.&quot;PCC Chair Michael Aguinaldo said the bill’s provisions, such as streamlining the approval process for telecommunications providers, promoting open access, and reducing market entry barriers, are aligned with the agency&#x27;s mandate to foster fair and open markets.In a Facebook post, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, meanwhile, assured that &quot;cybersecurity will always be at the core of Konektadong Pinoy bill.&quot;In an interview with ANC earlier this year, independent ICT policy researcher Grace Mirandilla-Santos also rejected suggestions that the bill presented cybersecurity risks.&quot;First of all, the Philippines is the only country in the world where a legislative franchise is still required as a first step to licensing a network operator. So that&#x27;s like saying that all other countries are putting their national security at risk because no other country in the world requires a congressional franchise,&quot; Mirandilla-Santos said.Department of Economy Planning and Development Secretary also said compared to other Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines lags in terms of internet access, with only 33 percent of Filipino households having fixed broadband. He said this was lower than Malaysia’s 50 percent, Thailand’s 58 percent, and Vietnam’s 76 percent. Connectivity costs are also significantly higher than regional averages, Balisacan said.Some of the largest business groups have expressed support for the bill, including the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, Fintech Alliance.PH,  the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, and the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.

PLDT officials said they may go to court to question the legality of parts of the bill.

PLDT officials said they may go to court to question the legality of parts of the bill.

PLDT says it may challenge constitutionality of Konektadong Pinoy bill

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PLDT says it may challenge constitutionality of Konektadong Pinoy bill

Jekki Pascual,

Arthur Fuentes,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 12, 2025 11:07 PM PHT

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