By Tom S. Noda
Computerworld Philippines
February 3, 2010

It’s all back to ground zero for the Department of ICT (DICT) and Cybercrime bills as their chances of becoming a law were officially shut down in the Senate on Tuesday.

“I was informed no more bills will be taken up on the last session day of the Senate. It appears our journey has come to an end,” said Secretary Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III, chairman of the Commission on ICT (CICT). “Thanks to all those who supported us along the way.  I guess it’s up to the next administration to pass our ICT bills.”

The Senate’s legislative calendar for the present administration officially ends today, February 3, but no more bills will be taken up.

Roxas-Chua, who was present in the Senate’s session on Tuesday, told members of the CyberPress club that it is “so possible” for the ICT bills to be approved if only the Senate chose to act on it.  “If only they want it approved, they can do it, right here and right now,” Roxas-Chua said.

The CICT chief said that of the various bills that were tackled in the Senate’s last eight sessions, there have been no developments on the ICT bills. He noted the Senate spent a significant amount of time on the C-5 issue linking presidentiable and incumbent Senator Manny Villar.

Villar, who described himself as the “brown taipan” in business circles, surprised everyone in the Senate on Tuesday with his privilege speech defending himself on the C-5 controversy. The episode, which was later dubbed as the “Villar Show” ate a lot of time in the Senate’s second to the last session on Tuesday, overriding the opportunities for pending bills to be passed.

‘UNSEEN FORCE’
Roxas-Chua said the DICT and Cybercrime bills were in the period of interpolation since last week but no developments took place. Many of the bills’ supporters expressed that an “unseen force” may have kept the ICT bills in the Senate hanging.

Besides countless presidential requests, the ICT bills earned fervent support from local ICT advocates and practitioners who, along with CICT, vowed to attend the Senate’s last nine session days since it resumed on Jan. 18.

Among the staunch supporters of the ICT bills are CICT, Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPA/P), Call Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP), Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP) and the CIO Forum (CIOF).

Former CICT commissioner Dondi Mapa said that CICT itself could be in danger of getting abolished. 

“That same ‘unseen force’ may even cause the CICT to be abolished by the next president,” Mapa said. “Let’s just hope that whoever becomes president in June does not abolish the CICT.”

Only recently, supporters of the ICT bills said the one that hampered the DICT bill was the request for interpolation of Senator Mar Roxas who never interpellated on the bill since he registered for it in September 2009.

Reports said many government stakeholders saw the need for a Philippine DICT as it will help the country in becoming a world-class IT hub focused on the further development of ICT skills, e-governance, universal IT access, and building businesses around open source technology.

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By Tom S. Noda
Computerworld Philippines
February 2, 2010

Staunch supporters of the Cybercrime and Department of ICT bills are beginning to believe that an “unseen force” may be preventing the passing into law of the two proposals pending in the Senate, despite countless presidential requests and fervent support of local ICT advocates and practitioners.

The bills’ supporters, led by Secretary Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III, chairman of the Commission on ICT (CICT), are starting to believe that someone or some people with great influence are keeping the ICT bills in the Senate hanging.

And with only two session days left, supporters are beginning to accept a poor ending. They are officers and members of CICT as well as leaders of the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPA/P), Call Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP), Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP) and the CIO Forum (CIOF).

Roxas-Chua, who regularly gives public updates on the bills via his Facebook (FB) account, reported that although the ICT bills are lined up for interpolation, a single discussion has not yet been taken and their enactment into law appears to be bleak in the present administration. He vowed to be present in the Senate’s last nine session days since its legislative calendar resumed last Jan. 18.

“Sorry folks, another day wasted,” Chua said in his FB status on Monday. “There seems to be an unseen force preventing our bills from being taken up.”

Chua said there are many bills that were tackled in the Senate since Jan. 18 but, unfortunately, the ICT bills were not among them, despite being certified as “urgent” by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last Wednesday.

Last Monday’s session was the 7th consecutive session day in the Senate which Chua and leaders of the said ICT groups attended. Chua said the Senate’s discussion on Monday was spent on the C-5 controversy linking presidentiable and incumbent senator Manny Villar.

In a recent interview with Computerworld Philippines, supporters of the DICT bill said the interpolation request of Sen. Mar Roxas is the only thing that holds the bill’s enactment into law. They said that although Roxas registered to interpolate on the bill in September 2009, he has yet to speak for the bill.

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, who registered to interpolate like Roxas, already gave her piece on the issue in September last year, supporters said.

Some supporters also commented that the Senate’s treatment of the DICT bill is a complete opposite of the treatment given by the House of Representatives who passed HB 4300 for the same purpose two years ago in 2008.

Computerworld Philippines tried to reach Roxas for comment since Thursday but hasn’t received a reply as of writing. He was present during last Wednesday’s session but immediately left after the roll call.

Chua said CICT is willing to do some adjustments on the DICT bill if ever Roxas, a known critic of the bill, has any objections. However, he said the problem stems from having no discussion on the matter at all.

As for the Cybercrime bill, Chua said it might have a better chance than the DICT bill since they are not aware of any oppositions.

Within the two session days left in the Senate, the ICT bills will have to be approved on 2nd and 3rd reading and reconciled with the House versions in a bicameral conference. If the bills fail to pass, lawmakers will have to do it all over again in Congress in the next administration.

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By Tom S. Noda
Computerworld Philippines
January 28, 2010

Supporters of the pending Senate Bill 2546 which intends to create the Department of ICT (DICT) said the interpolation request of Sen. Mar Roxas is the only thing that’s holding the bill’s enactment into law.

And with only three legislation days left, image of the longtime dream for the government department starts to fade.

Indeed, the senator’s request was to interrupt, to speak about the pending bill, but many didn’t expect that such interruption will keep the DICT bill hanging.

CICT chief Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III, accompanied by the bill’s supporting groups recalled on Wednesday that Roxas registered to interpolate on the bill since September 2009 along with Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago. The female senator already gave her piece a few days after registration but Roxas remained silent on the issue until last Wednesday’s session.

The House of Representatives passed HB 4300 for the purpose of a DICT two years ago in 2008.

For their 6th straight session day in the Senate since the sessions resumed last Jan. 18, CICT officials and the bill’s supporters could only share deep sighs – as each session would end with almost no development on the pending bill.

Together with CICT, the supporting groups that religiously attend the Senate sessions were the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPA/P), Call Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP), Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP) and the CIO Forum (CIOF).

The bill’s supporters expressed doubt on the senator’s reason in postponing his interpolation on the bill, since months have already passed and there is still no word from him on the issue.

Roxas was present during the senate session’s roll call on Wednesday but immediately left, missing anew his chance to interpolate on the DICT bill which he requested himself last year.

OPEN FOR ADJUSTMENTS
Chua told Computerworld Philippines that CICT is open to adjust some of the clauses in the pending bill if Roxas has any objections. Yet the problem stems from having no discussion on the matter at all.

“We’re open for any adjustments or removal of clauses in the bill, but first of all, we need to know what they are. We need to discuss,” Chua said, noting the DICT bill is in the period of interpolation anyway.

Proposed since 2001, critics of DICT’s creation described it as “redundant” and a “bloat to the bureaucracy.”

Chua, however, claimed that most of CICT’s budget today goes to the salaries of employees, yet the commission’s function is almost like a department, as it caters to “half of the communications function” of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC). CICT recently regained power over the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) as ordered by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

If DICT is approved, it will take over the National Computer Center (NCC), Telecommunications Office (Telof), and the Communications Planning Service division.

HOPE LINGERS
Chua and supporters of the bill said they plan to push for DICT and Cybercrime bills until the last session day of the Senate’s legislative calendar, which will most likely be on Feb. 5, as it marks the beginning of the campaign period for national elections.

The CICT chief said with only three session days remaining, he’s asking for the “full presence” of DICT supporters, as the two ICT bills will have to be approved on 2nd and 3rd reading and reconciled with the House versions in a bicameral conference within that span of time.

“Many bills were tackled today but unfortunately, our bills were not among them,” Chua said Wednesday. “It’s looking pretty bleak, but we’re not giving up yet.”

Chua said if the ICT bills don’t pass in the Senate, it will all be back to zero in the lower house in Congress in the next administration.

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