Mr Disini asserts that he is denied equal protection under the law because entities which he claims are similar to DotPH, the COM and NET Registries and even the GOV.PH and EDU.PH Registries, are not affected by The Guidelines. To bolster this assertion, he cites a statement from a Supreme Court decision ``Equal protection of the law demands that we treat alikes, alike and unalikes, unalike.''7
The fact of the matter is that DotPH is unalike the COM and NET Registries. DotPH is the only Registry for the Philippine ccTLD. The COM and NET Registries are registries for different domains. DotPH is unique. This is precisely the reason why it is a natural monopoly! If DotPH were not unique and there were other PH ccTLD Registries, then there wouldn't be any need for The Guidelines. In fact, DotPH is very unique because it is the only business which is both the PH ccTLD Registry and the PH ccTLD Registrar.
The Registries for the GOV.PH and EDU.PH are unalike DotPH. They are, after all, administrators of mere subdomains of the PH ccTLD. Should DotPH remove the delegation of EDU.PH to PHNET or the delegation of GOV.PH to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), what can these two Registries do? Neither PHNET nor DOST has the capability to modify the Registry database under the control of DotPH. Should DotPH wish to create a new subdomain AC.PH (for academic institutions) or GO.PH (for government institutions), what can PHNET and DOST do? Neither PHNET nor the DOST participates in the operation of the PH ccTLD in any shape, form, or manner. Mr Disini is the one and only Registry and Registrar for the PH ccTLD.
How then can the EDU.PH Registry be alike DotPH except for the fact that PHNET is a Registry?