Telecommunications companies are expected to present an update on their respective solutions when Senator Bam Aquino resumes the probe into consumer complaints about disappearance of prepaid loads or the so-called “nakaw load” on Monday (April 23).

“We identified specific solutions during the first hearing so that prepaid consumers no longer encounter dubious load deductions,” said Sen. Bam, who is spearheading the investigation as chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology.

“Mahigit isang buwan na mula noon kaya inaasahan nating naipatupad na ang mga solusyong ito,” Sen. Bam added.

During the committee’s initial hearing on March 5, Sen. Bam insisted that telecommunication companies must be transparent by issuing notifications to their subscribers when load is credited or deducted to their account

“Mahalagang agad na malaman ng subscribers kung may nadadagdag o nababawas na load sa kanilang account sa pamamagitan ng abiso mula sa telco,” said Sen. Bam.

Through notifications, subscribers will be able to monitor their load spending and will allow them to immediately cancel services they do not wish to avail.

Sen. Bam also called on telcos to implement an audit of all their value-added service (VAS) subscription, to protect consumers against unwarranted deductions from their prepaid load.

A telco also committed to implement a system refresh that will opt-out all of their subscribers to all VAS subscriptions and impose a stricter procedure when availing of these extra services.

The committee will resume its investigation on Monday (April 23), 10 a.m. at the Recto Room of the Senate of the Philippines.

The hearing was called by Sen. Bam through Senate Resolution No. 595, directing the committee to determine the capacity and readiness of relevant government agencies and regulators to implement rules that will protect prepaid mobile subscribers.