Final fate of KPA hangs

COMMONSENSE

- MARICHU A. VILLANUEVA

If not signed or vetoed by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (PBBM), the proposed Congress-approved bill called "Establishing a Comprehensive and Inclusive Data Transmission and Connectivity Framework For The Philippines" will lapse into law at midnight this Saturday (Aug. 23).

Known by its popular name as the proposed "Konektadong Pinoy Act," the KPA bill was passed into law by the defunct 19th Congress last June 9, or four days before both chambers adjourned sine die.

But the printed or enrolled KPA bill was only transmitted to Malacañang more than a month later. Under our country's 1987 Constitution, the Office of the President has 30 days within which to act on enrolled bills from the date of receipt. Many national and local bills approved by Congresses past ended in presidential vetoes.

But if not acted upon within this one-month period, it lapses into law without the President's signature. There is nothing new or strange if Congress-approved bills get lapsed into law. In fact, there have been so many such Congress-approved bills from administrations past which got enacted without the President's signature.

If the KPA bill in its present form is signed into law, industry players led by the four biggest telecommunications companies (telcos) vow to question it before the Supreme Court (SC). As industry players, they raised alleged legal and constitutional infirmities of the Congress-approved KPA bill.

For now, the respective heads of our country's biggest telcos have been urging PBBM to veto the KPA bill. The now controversial KPA bill drew unanimity of no less than the four chief executive officers (CEOs) of telcos, who signed a "Dear Mr. President" letter/appeal to PBBM. While opposed to the KPA bill, they, however, expressed readiness to craft an amended version of this proposed law for consideration of the 20th Congress and their approval.