Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile formally moved on Wednesday for the reorganization of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) even as he lamented that it has not done enough to regulate the local telecommunications industry amid the rapid advancement in information and communications technology.

In Senate Bill 3465, the NTC will be given powers to see a fair and competitive business environment among industry players to ensure universal access to reliable and affordable services for the public.

‘’The birth of new industry players has made it imperative for the government to provide a regulatory environment, to allow all sectors to develop the best available technology, on a level playing field. There is a need now to reorganize the NTC to define and strengthen its power and functions as proposed in SB 3465,’’ Enrile said.

The NTC, created in 1979, is tasked to develop an integrated nationwide transmission system that can stand alone or work with other entities in accordance with national and international telecommunications standards to meet all telecommunications requirements of the country.

However, since its creation, NTC has seen a development in the sector from being a monopolistic industry to one that provides consumers with a wide array of choices and improved access to services.

Enrile cited media reports that the NTC has been lax in monitoring the movements of the various telecommunications companies in the country, with some consumers still complaining of vanishing loads and unsolicited text messages or spams.

"I crafted the bill to protect the people from unscrupulous and aggressive marketing practices used by these telecommunications companies.

By reorganizing the NTC, there will be a stronger regulatory environment framework which will promote a more level playing field, thus giving the texters more leeway in choosing how to avail of the services of their chosen telecommunications provider,” Enrile explained.

Earlier, Enrile initiated a Senate investigation of “vanishing load” and text spams, of which he said he was himself a victim of, vowing to have the matter investigated.

“Governments throughout the world have devoted efforts towards the development and management of information systems to streamline and improve the efficiency of delivery of basic goods and services to the people. The NTC should do the same,” Enrile added.

As this developed, a move to prohibit cellular phone companies from passing on unsolicited services to their subscribers was initiated at the House of Representatives.

Palawan Rep. Antonio Alvarez filed House Bill 6595 seeking to impose suspension of operation or revocation of permit to operate on companies that would make unsolicited services to subscribers.

The bill will make it unlawful for any provider to automatically and involuntarily charge its subscribers for unsought services that in effect reduce the prepaid credit or increase the postpaid credit of a subscriber.

“The most common complaints among cellphone users is that telecommunication companies indiscriminately send unsolicited materials and messages to both pre-paid and post-paid accounts,” Alvararez noted. “It should be remembered that the franchise granted to telecommunications companies is merely a privilege granted by the government through Congress. The basic condition for this privilege is that companies must conform to the ethics of honest enterprise,” (with a report by Gabriel S. Mabutas)