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Telecommunication companies (telcos) were again asked
to lower the cost of the their services “at least during these
difficult times.”
House Speaker Prospero Nograles
reiterated this appeal over the weekend, saying that the telcos have
already “raked in billions in profit due to investment incentives
and the blind patronage of millions of Filipinos.”
“I have already instructed the
House committee on Information and technology chaired by Rep. Joseph
Santiago to revisit Republic Act 7925, otherwise known as the Public
Telecommunications Policy Act of 1995, with the main objective of
finding out possible amendments to bring down the cost of
communication services, particularly text messaging which has become
an essential communications tool among Filipinos including the
poorest of the poor,” Nograles said in a statement.
“Many Filipinos, from ordinary
students to business executives, rely on their cellular phones for
their day-to-day transactions,” he added.
Nograles also said RA 7925 may
have “spoiled” the telcos with the removal of the 12-percent
ceiling on return of investment and the three percent franchise tax
on gross receipts which he added, could have placed the prices of
telco services more reasonable.
“The removal of the cap gave
telecoms too much discretionary opportunity to maximize profit as
they prey on the eager Filipino texters,” he said.
Based on the estimates, he added
text messaging sending in the Philippines should be only at 25
centavos per text or should even be made free. Also, voice calls
which costs P8 per minute should be charged not on per minute basis
so that consumers will not pay for dropped calls.
The lawmaker also asked
Santiago’s committee to review a measure filed during the 12th
Congress, which would compel telcos to stop overcharging their
customers by charging them on a “per-minute” basis on voice
calls.
Nograles said mobile phone
service providers should only charge their subscribers on “per six
seconds of usage” and should be compelled to issue billing
statements even for pre-paid subscribers.
The Davao City representative
stressed that the practice of telcos of charging their subscribers
on a per-minute basis instead of the actual length of calls should
be considered as a business malpractice and this should be
immediately corrected.
“With the absence of a law
which regulates the call rates of these mobile phone service
providers, even the National Telecommunications Commission is
helpless in protecting the subscribers.”
 --Sammy
Martin
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