Act on ABS-CBN franchise, House told
Credit to Author: Catherine S. Valente, TMT| Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2020 16:15:09 +0000
President Rodrigo Duterte wants Congress to act on the franchise renewal of broadcast giant ABS-CBN Corp., his spokesman said on Thursday.
Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said Congress should do their work, especially since Duterte was being blamed for the impasse over ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal.
“The President said they should do something about it. Meaning to say, do their job. There is a pending application before Congress. Then members of Congress should deliberate on it and decide whether or not to grant or to deny the extension,” he told reporters.
“The job of Congress is to pass laws. The job of Congress to investigate, in aid of legislation, any matter that affects the national interest and their welfare. That’s their job. One of their jobs is precisely to deliberate on whether or not to grant or renew franchises,” he added.
Panelo reiterated that Duterte’s rants against the broadcast media giant did not have an effect on the lawmakers’ decision.
He issued the statement after Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go prodded the House of Representatives to act on the pending measures seeking to renew the broadcast network’s franchise.
The senator reiterated any legislative action regarding franchise bills must emanate from the House.
“The longer we prolong the application, the hotter the issue becomes. Talk it among yourselves. That’s the process, anyway, and then send it here to the Senate and the President will decide, and let him approve it or exercise his veto power,” Go said.
Under Republic Act 3846, radio and television stations are required to seek a franchise from Congress.
Panelo said lawmakers should pass a law extending the validity of ABS-CBN’s franchise if they were really inclined to renew it.
The Office of the Solicitor General has asked the Supreme Court to revoke the legislative franchises of ABS-CBN and its subsidiary ABS-CBN Convergence Inc. for alleged “highly abusive practices.”
ABS-CBN has denied any wrongdoing.
Urgent
Some members of the House renewed their called on the leadership to immediately tackle the measures that seek to extend the ABS-CBN’s franchise.
On Thursday, Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr., a member of the House Committee on Legislative Franchises, claimed “momentum has shifted” in favor of the House to act with urgency and immediately conduct hearings.
“I concur with Sen. Bong Go on the urgency factor. The Senate also needs time to tackle the franchise bills the House will work on. I understand Senator Go’s statements to mean that the Senators want to tackle the bills now if the House will allow as a courtesy to the Senate,” Garbin said in a statement on Thursday.
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, author of one of the renewal bills, took Go’s statement as “a blessing” from President Duterte since “Go is a very close confidante of the President.”
“The apparent softening of the President’s opposition to the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise would quash the smoldering indignation against the Duterte administration for violating the freedom of the press and free expression,” he said.
“The imminent closure of the giant network has galvanized multisectoral support for the renewal of its franchise. It is high time that the Duterte administration defuses a possible nationwide protest that can have adverse consequences,” Lagman added.
But Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano remained unmoved saying that the “best timing” for a hearing is when there is ample time to hear all sides.