Senate Holds Cable Theft Bill Hearing;
PCTA Supports Passage of the Bill
The PCTA, led by President Leo Wong, attended a hearing called by the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media on August 11, 2009 to discuss the consolidated version of the different Cable Theft Bills filed at the Senate. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano presided over the hearing which took place at the Senator Pecson Room of the Senate.
The consolidated bill was filed in substitution of Senate Bills Nos. 347, 1227, 2180, 2588, 2655, and 3089, taking into consideration House Bill No. 1409. The Senate Committees on Public Information and Mass Media and on Justice and Human Rights prepared the Substitute Bill with Senators Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revila Jr., Manny Villar, Francis Escudero, Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Alan Peter Cayetano as authors.
The Senate Bill, entitled "An Act Prohibiting and Penalizing the Pilferage and Theft, Unauthorized Use, Interconnection or Reception of Any Signal or Service Offered Over a Cable Television System (CATV) or Cable Internet System and/or Network or Through Any Unauthorized Installation, Access, or Connection Thereto Through the Use of Cable or Other Equipment and Prescribing Penalties Therefore " shall also be referred to as "The Anti Cable Television and Cable Internet Services Pilferage Act of 2009".
Mr. Wong was joined in the Senate hearing by former PCTA President Allan Dungao, together with Vice Presidents Marcelino Agana IV and Arnel Merilleno, Corporate Secretary Maria Antonette Belmonte, Directors Anthony Parungao, Amelita Ledesma, and Generoso Opiņa, and Secretary General Anne Manalansan.
The association thanked the authors of the Bill for the landmark legislation that is expected to protect not only the stakeholders of the cable television industry but also the legitimate cable subscribers all over the country.
The Committee asked the concerned parties present during the hearing to give their comment on the consolidated bill by August 17 in order to be considered. The Committee will then finalize the draft bill and submit it as the final Senate version which, after adoption, will be discussed together with the House version at the bicameral conference committee session.
The PCTA, in a letter submitted to Sen. Cayetano on August 17, expressed its full support for the passage of the substitute Bill as presented in the hearing.
