ABS-CBN bills bypassed anew as House panel takes up legislative franchise measures

The House committee on legislative franchises bypassed anew all eight bills proposing to grant broadcast giant ABS-CBN another 25 years to operate.

The House panel conducted its first congressional hearing for 2020 on Tuesday but did not include the ABS-CBN franchise renewal bills on the agenda.

In all hearings conducted last year, the committee deliberated on other measures except the ABS-CBN bills authored by senior administration and opposition lawmakers.

Four legislative proposals, all recent filings compared to at least three ABS-CBN bills, were taken up during the hearing presided over by Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez, committee chairman.

The four were swiftly approved by the House panel the same day they were deliberated on.

Approved were House Bill (HB) No. 4162 granting the Romeo Cabresante Servando company another 25 years to operate a radio-television network, HB 5154 for the legislative franchise of Philand Communications Network, HB 5361 for the FBS Radio Network, and HB 5154 for the Century Communications Marketing Corporation.

Before the adjournment, Alvarez was asked when he intended to set the ABS-CBN legislative franchise for committee hearing.

Alvarez responded by saying that this is still being studied.  He did not elaborate.

The continued broadcasting operation of ABS-CBN has drawn serious opposition from various quarters, including President Duterte who has accused the network of being prejudiced against him during the 2016 presidential campaign.

However, the committee’s indecisiveness in scheduling the legislative franchise bills for a hearing is caused by an intense lobby allegedly by leaders of an influential religious sect who resented the network’s coverage of controversies that involved them.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2020/02/06/abs-cbn-bills-bypassed-anew-as-house-panel-takes-up-legislative-franchise-measures/