“Sana hindi i-jam ang signal.”
Ito ang hiling ni Kabataan Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon sa awtoridad, partikular sa National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), para magkaroon ng komunikasyon ngayong Linggo sa misa ni Pope Francis sa Quirino Grandstand sa Maynila.
“Signal jamming may prove to be a grave inconvenience for mobile phone users, especially when emergencies arise,” hirit ni Ridon.
Binanggit ng mambabatas ang pagputol ng NTC sa signal ng mga mobile phone noong Biyernes bilang security measure sa pagbisita ni Pope Francis, na nagmisa sa Manila Cathedral noong Biyernes ng umaga at nakipagpulong sa piling pamilya sa Pasay City pagsapit ng gabi.
“Contrary to what the NTC supposedly ordered telcos, signal jamming will only lead to more harm than good. What if during the large gathering at Luneta this Sunday, for example, family members get separated? What if emergency situations arise? How will the people communicate with each other?” tanong ni Ridon.
“Surely, the Filipino people wants the Pope to be safe during his visit here in the Philippines, and we understand if certain security precautions are put into place. Yet we believe that the government should not go to the extent of jamming mobile phone signals. Communication is an essential part of public safety. Cutting phone lines might truly bring more harm than good,” pagtatapos pa ni Ridon.