House of Representatives

1.   Committee on Foreign Affairs
2.   Committee on Appropriations
3.   Committee on National Defense
4.   Committee Dangerous Drugs
5.   Committee on Agriculture and Food
6.   Committee on Legislative Franchises
7.   Committee on Banks and Financial Intermediaries
8.   Committee on Transportation and Communications
9.   Special Committee on Twenty Depressed Provinces
10. Special Committee on Reforestation

 
Commission on Appointments

1.   Vice Chairman, House Contingent
2.   Majority Leader
3.   Committee on Accounts (Chairman)
4.   Committee on Agriculture and Food
5.   Committee on Budget and Management
6.   Committee on Constitutional Commissions and Offices (Vice Chairman)
7.   Committee on Education. Culture and Sports
8.   Committee on Energy
9.   Committee on Finance
10. Committee on Foreign Affairs (Vice Chairman)
11. Committee on Government Corporations and other Offices
12. Committee on Interior and Local Government
13. Committee on Justice and Judicial and Bar council (Vice Chairman)
14. Committee on National Defense (Vice Chairman)
15. Committee on Public Works and Highways
16. Committee on Trade and Industry
17. Committee on Transportation and Communications

 House Resolution No.  148

RESOLUTION DIRECTING APPROPRIATE COMMITTEE/S OF THE HOUSE 
OF REPRESENTATIVES TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION IN AID OF 
LEGISLATION INTO THE ALLEGED CARTEL OF THE GLOBE TELECOM INC. 
AND SMART COMMUNICATIONS INC. AS SEEN IN THEIR SIMULTANEOUS 
AND ARBITRARY FREE TEXT REDUCTION SCHEME

Whereas, RA 7925 or the Public Telecommunications Policy Act of 1994 
states that growth and development of telecommunications services shall 
be pursued in accordance with the national policies which include 
fostering a "healthy competitive environment... while maintaining affordable 
rates"; 

Whereas, the said Act was enacted to deregulate the telecommunications 
industry to end the existence of monopolies and cartels to develop 
healthy competition that will ultimately, not only benefit, but also offer 
the consumers the best choices; 

Whereas, the Globe Telecom Inc. and Smart Communications Inc. 
announced, within the same period, that they will arbitrarily reduce their 
allocation of free short message service or text messages by as much as 
three fourths they are currently providing; 

Whereas, the almost simultaneous announcements of the two largest 
cellular mobile telephone systems to implement the same free text reduction 
scheme without any compelling or urgent causes aside from squeezing 
more profits as cartels usually do; 

Whereas, their arbitrary and simultaneous announcement shows conspiracy 
between competing companies that could only be done by cartels; 

Whereas, tolerating another cartel would be very detrimental to the 
soundness of the telecommunications industry and the economy in general; 

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, that the 
House of Representatives direct the appropriate committee/s to conduct an 
investigation in aid of legislation into the alleged cartel of the Globe 
Telecom Inc. and Smart Communications Inc. in their simultaneous and 
arbitrary free text reduction scheme. 

Adopted.




ANICETO G. SALUDO, JR. 




 
Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City

Twelfth Congress
1st Regular Session

RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES TO 
CONDUCT AN INQUIRY, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, INTO THE ALLEGED
ILLEGAL PRACTICES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN GRANTING 
QUARRY PERMITS


Whereas, the rampant abuse of natural resources in the Philippines 
raised alarming concern for its preservation and conservation; 

Whereas, to address persistent calls for environmental protection, the 
Congress of the Philippines passed Republic Act No. 7492, otherwise 
known as "The Mining Act of 1995"; 

Whereas, RA 7492 is primarily geared to regulate the mining and 
quarrying industries; 

Whereas, RA. 7492 expressly provided to limit the authority of Local 
Government Officials, specifically the Provincial Governor and City 
Mayor, of the Province and City, respectively, in issuing quarry permits; 

Whereas, proper procedures instituted by the Community and Environment 
and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of the Department of Environment 
and Natural Resources (DENR) should be complied by entities applying for 
quarry permits before the Provincial Governor or the City Mayor, as the 
case may be, can grant the same; 

Whereas, despite the existence of instituted rules and procedures, some 
local government officials disregard these government policies by 
granting quarry permits to entities which have not acquired an Environmental 
Compliance Certificate (ECC) from the Regional Office of the DENR; 

Whereas, the unauthorized granting of quarry permits by some local 
officials resulted to indiscriminate quarrying activities, specifically in 
the Province of Southern Leyte;

Whereas, as an example of the destructive effects of the wanton and 
indiscriminate quarrying activities by commercial industries in Subang 
Daku River in Southern Leyte, severely damaged road sections of the 
Maharlika Highway, posed grave threat to motorists especially during the 
rainy season; 

Whereas, the Maharlika Highway is an important infrastructure being the 
only link of Visayas to Mindanao by land; 

Whereas, to strengthen the government's campaign on environmental 
protection, the provisions of RA 7492 should be strictly implemented and the 
rules and procedures instituted by the DENR should be firmly complied 
with; 

Whereas, in consideration of the issues and concerns regarding the 
environment, appropriate action must be taken by the Congress to ensure the 
preservation of the environment and conservation of natural resources; 

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
to direct the House Committee on Natural Resources to conduct an inquiry, in aid 
of legislation, into the alleged illegal practices of Local Government 
Officials in granting quarry permits. 


Adopted. 



ANICETO G. SALUDO, JR. 

 
Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City


Twelfth Congress
1st Regular Session

RESOLUTION DIRECTING APPROPRIATE COMMITTEE/S OF THE HOUSE 
OF REPRESENTATIVES TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION IN AID OF 
LEGISLATION INTO THE FINAL ACQUISITION BY THE PHILIPPINE LONG DISTANCE 
TELEPHONE COMPANY THROUGH MEDIAQUEST HOLDINGS OF GMA NETWORK
IN VIOLATION OF THE CONTITUTIONAL RESTRICTION ON FOREIGN OWNERSHIP
AND MANAGEMENT OF MASS MEDIA

Whereas, Sec. 11, Article XVI of the 1987 Constitution stated the 
limitation of the ownership and management of mass media to citizens of the 
Philippines, or to corporations, cooperatives or associations, wholly 
owned and managed by Filipinos; 

Whereas, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) acquired 
66.67 percent of GMA Network Inc. through its subsidiary Mediaquest 
Holdings Inc.;

Whereas, the PLDT revealed through its corporate disclosures that the 
foreign-owned telecom giant is the real and true owner of GMA Network; 

Whereas, the PLDT is a company majority-owned and controlled by the 
Salim Group of Indonesia; 

Whereas, the Salim Group of Indonesia took control of PLDT in November 
1998 for US$749M, was the biggest conglomerate in Indonesia; 

Whereas, the constitutional bar to foreign intrusion in mass media is 
an affirmation of media's influence in shaping public opinion and as 
vehicle for propagating values and culture; 

Whereas, ownership of the GMA, the second largest broadcasting network 
in the country, by a non-Filipino could be a security concern; 

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED,  that the 
House of Representatives direct the appropriate committee/s to conduct an 
investigation in aid of legislation into the final acquisition by the 
Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company through Mediaquest Holdings of 
GMA Network in violation of  the constitutional restriction on foreign 
ownership and management of mass media. 

Adopted, 



ANICETO G. SALUDO, JR. 

RAUL GONZALEZ

EMILIO ESPINOSA

GERRY SALAPUDDIN