The Supreme Court, during its En Banc deliberations today, April 25, 2023, denied the prayer to issue a temporary restraining order in National Union of Journalists of the Philippines Inc., et al. vs The National Telecommunications, et al. (G.R. No. 266367) and instead required the Respondents to file their comment on the Petition within 10 days from actual receipt of Notice.
The Petition for Certiorari and Prohibition under Rule 65 of the Rules of Civil Procedure with Prayer for Writ of Preliminary Injunction and/or TRO dated April 17, 2023 asked the Court to:
- Issue a temporary restraining order and/or writ of preliminary injuction against the Respondents to restrain them from implementing the law while the case is pending;
- Declare the SIM Registration Act unconstitutional on its face for infringing Art. III Sections 1, 2, 3, and 11 of the 1987 Constitution; and
- Order the Respondent [Public Telecommunication Entities] PTEs to cease and desist from using, storing, transferring, and processing all information gathered into the SIM Register and to destroy data already gathered.
Aside from the NTC, also named as Respondents were the National Privacy Commision, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Education, Globe Telecom Inc., Smart Communications, Inc., PLDT Inc., Dito Telecommunity Corporation, Digitel Mobile Philippines Inc., doing business as Sun Cellular, and Cherry Mobile Communications Inc.
The Supreme Court Public Information Office will upload a copy of the resolution once it receives the same from the Office of the Clerk of Court En Banc. (Courtesy of the Supreme Court Public Information Office)