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MANILA – The representative of Davao del Sur, Mercedes Cagas, supported the ABS-CBN Corporation’s bid on Saturday to renew its broadcast franchise that expired on May 4.
The province’s lonely district representative said she sent a letter dated May 6 urging the chamber to take pending action to renew the ABS-CBN franchise. Cagas said he will make a formal statement on the matter during Monday’s virtual session.
“Marami kaming nag-manifest in favor of ABS-CBN (franchise) renewal but mahirap kasi magsalita,” Cagas told ABS-CBN News.
“It is not [in] writing but when I contacted some of my colleagues in Congress, we have the same feelings. Then you have the numbers in Congress, “he added.
Cagas said he hopes the House of Representatives will take action soon, even though several congressmen have been unable to attend committee hearings or plenary sessions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I hope you address this once and for all. Anyway, we can always send our votes via tele-session, ”he said.
Cagas said he was pressing for the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise to protect press freedom and the right to information.
“I would like to reiterate that this representation regrets any attempt to restrict freedom in any way and form. So my position is firm and I am going for the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise, “he said.
In a lengthy Facebook post on Friday, Cayetano broke his silence about the closure of ABS-CBN’s broadcast operations, saying the House was “ambushed” by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).
“Despite his guarantee under oath. Despite the legal opinion of the Justice Department. Despite a Senate resolution, and various verbal and written guarantees given to Congress – the NTC appears to have succumbed to pressure from the Attorney General, and issued an ABS-CBN cease and desist order, “he said.
Following the incident, Cayetano issued a warning to the NTC and Attorney General José Cálida.
“As for the sudden change in the NTC and the Attorney General’s unconstitutional meddling in the affairs of Congress, I promise you there will be a reckoning,” he said.
On May 5, the NTC issued a cease and desist order at the country’s largest media and entertainment conglomerate after the expiration of its franchise on May 4.
The Kapamilya network, which reaches millions of Filipinos through its television, radio and online platforms, was kicked off the air on May 5, the second time since the Marcos dictatorship.
Amid allegations of alleged abuse, such as offering a pay-per-view service and operating multiple channels, ABS-CBN has repeatedly said it did not violate the law in its decades-old service.
News.abs-cbn.com is the official news website for ABS-CBN Corp.
