THE Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading the bill extending the franchise of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) to operate a private telecommunications service in the country by another 25 years.
The Senate had adopted House Bill No. 7753, which allows the INC to operate “private telecommunications or electronic communications services” within the Philippines, and between the Philippines and other countries.
The measure was approved with 20 affirmative votes, zero negative vote, and no abstention.
The bill amended Republic Act No. 7255, which has also extended the franchise of Iglesia ni Cristo for 25 years in 1992. The religious organization was originally granted franchise under Republic Act No. 4339 in 1965.
The Senate inserted a new provision in the measure directing the INC to create employment opportunities and to allow on-the-job training in its operations.
The bill requires the INC to apply for a renewal or extension of its franchise five years before its expiration date. The franchise may be revoked if the INC fails to operate its telecommunications operations continuously for two years.
Bulacan Rep. Florida P. Robes, principal author of the bill, has said that the INC needed the private telecommunications network for the religious organization’s efficient interconnection and exchange of information. It is also being used for to disseminate its biweekly preachings nationwide and even abroad.
The bill also directs the INC to secure a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity as well as necessary permits for the construction and operations of its telecommunications systems or facilities from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).
Under the franchise, the INC cannot use its stations or facilities for “obscene or indecent transmission, or for the dissemination of deliberately false information or willful misrepresentation, or assist in subversive or treasonable acts.”
The INC should also extend its services in unserved areas and in typhoon-prone areas in the Philippines to be determined by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) in coordination with the NTC.
It is also mandated to upgrade its equipment in compliance with the Republic Act No. 10639 or the Free Mobile Disaster Alerts Act. — C.A.Aguinaldo
