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MANILA, Philippines – More than a week after media giant ABS-CBN closed its broadcast operations, several lawmakers, including President Alan Peter Cayetano, introduced a bill that gives the network a provisional franchise. to operate.
According to House Bill No. 6732, ABS-CBN will be granted a provisional franchise valid until October 31, 2020.
“Through this measure, we hope to strike a balance between the immediate needs of people in the midst of their crisis and the duty of Congress to ensure accountability to our current laws,” lawmakers said in the explanatory note to the draft bill. law.
“By providing ABS-CBN with a provisional franchise valid until October 31, 2020, both the House of Representatives and the Senate will listen to the issues raised for and against renewal, and assess, with full impartiality and fairness, whether the network will be granted a franchise for another twenty-five (25) years, “they added.
In addition, lawmakers said, “We cannot, in good conscience, sweep the allegations under the rug.”
The House of Representatives met Wednesday in a Committee of the Whole to address the bill.
“When the Chamber is constituted in a Committee of the Whole, it functions as a committee that acts on a bill or resolution and conducts its procedures as a regular committee with its membership made up of all members of the Chamber,” states the rule of the Camera.
The 11 bills seeking the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise are still pending before the House committee on legislative franchises, the first of which, at least at the 18th Congress, was introduced in July 2019.
While the bills were pending in the lower house, Cayetano, on numerous occasions, assured that ABS-CBN would not close its operations even if its franchises expired.
By ensuring that ABS-CBN will continue to operate as Congress addresses bills seeking renewal, House of Representatives leaders supported the NTC giving the network provisional authority to operate.
On March 10, NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Córdoba told House members that they will follow the advice of the Department of Justice (DOJ), allowing ABS-CBN function while his franchise renewal offer is pending in Congress.
But on May 5, the NTC issued a cease and desist order against ABS-CBN, ordering the network to stop its broadcast operations after its franchise expired on May 4.
the order to cease and desist It came two days after Attorney General José Cálida warned the NTC not to issue a provisional authority to operate ABS-CBN.
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