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Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman. File photo INQUIRER.net / RYAN LEAGOGO
MANILA, Philippines – The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) should not be used as a “scapegoat” for shutting down broadcast operations by media giant ABS-CBN, a lawmaker said Wednesday.
Albay’s first district representative, Edcel Lagman, noted that he has repeatedly said that the interim authority solution, in which House of Representatives leaders relied on ABS-CBN to continue operations while its franchise renewal offer is pending in the lower house, it is against the law.
“The National Telecommunications Commission should not be used as a scapegoat for the failure of the House of Representatives leadership patent to resolutely press for the reasonable renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise,” said the representative of Albay District 1 Edcel Lagman in a statement.
“There is no other solution to the ABS-CBN dilemma than the immediate renewal of its franchise now that Congress is in session,” added the legislator.
Palawan 1st District representative Franz Alvarez, who chairs the House committee on legislative franchises, warned the NTC that they could be scorned for “backing down” on their previous pronouncement that it would grant ABS-CBN provisional authority to operate.
To recall, 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 to operate while its franchise renewal offer is pending in the Congress.
But Lagman argued that Republic Law 7925 or the Public Telecommunications Policy Law states that “no person shall start or conduct the business of being a public telecommunications entity without first obtaining a franchise.”
“It appears that NTC President Cayetano and Commissioner Gamaliel Cordova were playing charades because after Cordova pledged to grant provisional authority, the NTC issued the cease and desist order for ABS-CBN to stop operations,” said Lagman. .
“The closure of the network giant, which could have been avoided by the timely renewal of Congress of its franchise, is a flagrant derogation of press freedom,” added the legislator.
Furthermore, Lagman said that President Rodrigo Duterte’s acceptance of ABS-CBN’s apology should have been a “signal to go” for the lower house to act on the network’s franchise renewal offer.
Subsequently, the President accepted the explanation and apology from ABS-CBN executives that could have been the starting signal for the House to renew the franchise, unless such acceptance was part of the parody of finally closing ABS-CBN. for some ulterior motives. ” Lagman said.
“The closure of ABC-CBN highlights the truth that the Chamber must exercise its constitutional powers independently and without succumbing to the intervention of the president,” he added.
In an order dated May 5, the NTC ordered ABS-CBN to stop operating its radio and television broadcast stations across the country “in the absence of a valid franchise from Congress required by law.”
The NTC cited Republic Law No. 3846 or the Radio Control Law that states that “no person, company, company, association or corporation shall build, install, establish or operate a radio transmission station or reception station. radio used for commercial purposes. ” , or a broadcasting station, without having previously obtained a franchise from the Philippine Congress. “
Thus, with the expiration of the Law of the Republic. No. 7966, which gave ABS-CBN a 25-year franchise to operate its radio and television stations, NTC said that ABS-CBN “no longer has a valid and subsisting franchise of Congress as required by Law No. 3846.
JPV
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