Extension of Franchise Granted to the Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corp.

November 15, 1990

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6970

AN ACT EXTENDING THE FRANCHISE GRANTED TO THE PHILIPPINE TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION TO ESTABLISH, INSTALL, MAINTAIN AND OPERATE WIRE AND/OR WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS, LINES, CIRCUITS AND STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE PHILIPPINES FOR PUBLIC DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS UNDER REPUBLIC ACT NO. 4161, AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 5048, TO ANOTHER TWENTY-FIVE (25) YEARS FROM THE DATE OF THE EFFECTIVITY OF THIS ACT

SECTION 1. Subject to the provisions of the Constitution and the laws and regulations on public telecommunications utilities as administered by the National Telecommunications Commission, and other applicable laws, there is hereby granted to the Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, hereinafter referred to as the grantee, a franchise to establish, install, operate and maintain in the Philippines, at such places as the said grantee may select, telecommunications facilities (lines, circuits, switching equipment, and/or stations) and services (such as telegraph, telex, record, data, voice and the like) for international and domestic public communications with the authority to receive and transit messages, impressions, pictures, voice, digital and/or analog signals throughout the Philippines and between the Philippines and foreign countries, including ships at sea, airplanes and other conveyances, to supply and/or lease facilities for such purposes and to charge and receive compensation therefor for tolls and charges.

SECTION 2. The life of the franchise of the Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corporation under Republic Act No. 4161, as amended by Republic Act No. 5048, is hereby renewed to another twenty-five (25) years from the date of the effectivity of this Act.

Any provision of Republic Act No. 4161, as amended by Republic Act No. 5048, to the contrary notwithstanding, the Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corporation shall pay franchise, income and other taxes as provided for in Executive Order No. 72.

SECTION 3. In adherence to the constitutional mandate, the herein grantee shall comply with the enabling law implementing the democratization of ownership of all public utilities. cd

SECTION 4. All other provisions, terms and conditions contained in Republic Act No. 4161, as amended by Republic Act No. 5048, which are otherwise not affected hereby are hereby made integral parts of this Act.

SECTION 5. The franchise hereby granted shall be subject to amendment, alteration, or repeal by the Congress of the Philippines when common good so requires.

SECTION 6. In addition to the terms and conditions herein provided, the Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corporation shall submit an annual report under oath of its operations to the Congress of the Republic of the Philippines.

SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from the date of its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved: November 15, 1990

Published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Daily Globe November 23, 1990. Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 87 No. 2 page 204 on January 14, 1991.