Lawmaker wants to ban the prepaid load expiration
Senator Win Gatchalian, vice chairman of the Senate economic affairs committee, is pushing to ban the prepaid load expiration as well as the expiration of prepaid internet.
Many mobile phone and internet users are still using the prepaid services of telecommunication companies in the Philippines. However, it is just catering for a limited time because of the expiration.
In line with this, Sen Gatchalian, based on the report from the Philippine News Agency, is seeking to ban the validity period of a certain prepaid service.
He is filing the Senate Bill 365 or the Prepaid Load Forever Act. This bill proposed to ban all PTEs and ICT providers from imposing an expiration date on the validity period of prepaid load credits. The restriction will be regardless of the amount involved unless fully consumed.
The Bill seeks to charge fines amounting from PHP100,000 to as much as PHP2 million for the violators. In addition to this, imprisonment of two to six years plus an immediate revocation of the license to engage in business are part of the punishment.
“The harsh reality in this era of coronavirus pandemic is that we rely on information and communication technologies (ICT) in our daily life. And for those with limited resources, every peso counts. Forfeiture of unused prepaid load credits due to expiration period is somehow unconscionable under the current situation,” the lawmaker said in a statement.
Gatchalian pointed out that this is an unjustified policy as customers are forced to consume the load or service within a given period of time. He called this “anti-consumer”.
“Unlike in other goods that are edible and have efficacy, this kind of commodity depends on the subscribers’ usage and they should be given the choice whether or not to make full use of the services,” the senator added.
The lawmaker also said that this policy that public telecommunications entities (PTEs) and ICT providers imposed should be subjected to a review.
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