Konektadong Pinoy bill faces review amid telco concerns

President Marcos is expected to scrutinize the proposed Konektadong Pinoy Act, a priority administration bill designed to boost connectivity in the country, but which has raised alarm among telecommunications firms over possible security and regulatory risks.

- — With Elijah Felice Rosales

The bill, which aims to remove barriers for internet service providers and lure investments in digital infrastructure, was ratified by Congress last week and is now awaiting the President's signature.

While consumer advocates and some officials lauded its passage, the group representing the country's leading telcos warned that the version approved by the bicameral committee could "lead to national security vulnerabilities, weaken regulatory oversight and destabilize the telecommunications sector in the long run."

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the measure has yet to be transmitted to the Office of the President.

Castro gave assurance that the President would act promptly on the bill after reviewing all its provisions.

'Unresolved risks'

While the Philippine Chamber of Telecommunications Operators (PCTO) supports the bill's overarching goal of expanding digital access, the group raised alarm over what it described as "unresolved risks" in the proposed bill.