NTC to collect P3.77B from NOW Telecom after SC ruling

THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said it will pursue the collection of nearly P3.77 billion in outstanding supervision and regulation fee (SRF) liabilities, including penalties, from NOW Telecom Co., Inc. after the Supreme Court (SC) denied with finality the company’s motion for reconsideration.

In a statement on Sunday, the NTC said the High Court denied NOW Telecom’s motion for reconsideration in a resolution dated April 21.

The NTC said the resolution affirmed its decision to disqualify NOW Telecom from the 3G frequency assignment for unpaid SRF and spectrum user fee (SUF).

The commission said it would collect NOW Telecom’s outstanding SRF liabilities, which reached P3.77 billion as of Sept. 30, 2025, including penalties.

Citing the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision, the NTC said NOW Telecom, formerly Next Mobile, Inc., had an unpaid SRF of P126.09 million and SUF of P9.67 million as of December 2005.

The dispute arose after NOW Telecom argued that additional paid-in capital from its debt-to-equity conversion should not have been included in the SRF computation.

“The Supreme Court held that when NOW Telecom converted its creditors’ liabilities to stock subscription, there was a corresponding increase in its capital stock in consideration for the extinguishment of the liability, which are now considered as paid stocks,” the NTC said.

The resolution also directed the immediate issuance of an entry of final judgment in the consolidated cases involving NOW Telecom. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera