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IYEDI{ESDAY, APR . 3, 2019
Senate eyes, approval of Public Services Act
amendments before lrTth Congress ends in June
THE BILL amendingthe 8z-year-
old Public Services Act (PSA) to
lift foreign olvrership limits es-
pecially in the telecommunica-
tions and transport sectors may
still make it out of the legislative
mill before the tTthCongress ends
in June, according to Senate lead-
ers interviewed on Tuesday.
Senate Bill No. 1754, sponsored
by Senator Grace S. Poe-Llaman-
zares, now awaits second-reading
approval in the chamber after its
Countdirpart measure, House Bill
No. 5828, bagged third-reading
approval in September 2017
Asked if the measure can still
be passed on third and final read-
ing, Senate President Vicente
C. Sotto III replied in a mobile
phonemessage: "Best efiort tun.'
M!. Sotto on March 2I told re-
porters the proposed a$endment
of Commonwealth Act No. 146 is
among the Senatet priodty mea-
sures when lawmalers of the cur-
rent Congress return to work for
the last time on May 2o-June Z
Any measure that fails to make
it out of Congress by the end of
that period will have to start the
legislative process in the l8'hCon-
gress.
Senator Sherwin T. Gatchal-
ian, chairman of the Committee
on Economic Affairs, coufirmed
in a separate phone message on
Tuesday that "we lr'ill talie up that
bill" in those remaining session
days.
Ms. Poe, chair of the Commit-
tee on Public Services, noted that
the bill's "interpellation already
begaa before session adjourned"
for tle Feb. 9-May 19 brea}.
Ms. Poe said plenary debates
on the bill are expected to focus
on possible national security
risks from the,entry of foreign
.telecommunication service pro-
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viders. Concerns have been raised
about the entry particularly of
telcos from China, with vrhich
the Philippines has a simmering
territorial dispute in the South
China Sea-
"Increasing FDI (foreign di
reEt irlitstments) and promoting
national se-cudty are not coniict-
ing goals. The country can have
both as long as proper safeguards
are observed," she said in a text
message.
"We will ofrer an amendment
that gives the President and the
National Secu ty Council powers
td review, suspend or prohibit an
FDI transaction that threatens to
impair national secuTity."
The central bank reported on
March u that FDI net inflows
dropped 44% to $9.802 billion in
2Ol8 from $10.256 billion in 2OIz
Overall, Ms, Poe said, "Foreign
competition can give consumers
more genuine alternatives to ex-
isting services."
"Local companies have been
operating for some time, so we
expect ttrem to be able to improve
their quality of service and sur-
vive market forces," she added.
Both House and Senate bills
proposed to provide a clearer def-
inition of "public sewices," which
had been used interchangeably
wiih'hublic utility."
The measure vrill narrow down
' hublic utilities" to the transmis-
sion and distribution of electric-
ity, and waterworks and sewerage
pipeline distribution system.
Ifenacted, the measure will lift
foreign equityrestrictions partic-
ularly on telecommunication alrd
trarsportation service providers.
The I987 Constitution allows
operation of public utilities that
are at least 6070 Filipino-owned.
Chatrnaine A. Tadalan
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