Drilon seeks extension of ABS-CBN franchise

SENATE Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Monday filed a joint resolution that seeks to extend the franchise of ABS-CBN broadcast network up to 2022.

The senator filed Senate Joint Resolution 11 amid uncertainties on the fate of the network, whose 25-year franchise expires on March 30, 2020.

Drilon said the Senate and House of Representatives need more time to review the application for renewal of the corporation’s franchise.

He stressed that Congress needs to review, assess and determine if the network’s franchise should be renewed.

He noted that there are only 12 session days left before Congress adjourns on Mar. 14, 2020.

Drilon moved to extend the validity of the franchise of ABS-CBN until Dec. 31, 2022.

“On March 30, 2020, more than 11,000 employees will go home jobless and millions of viewers will be affected if we do not act on this resolution immediately. I therefore urge for the immediate passage of this resolution,” he said.

On February 10, Solicitor General Jose Calida filed a quo warranto petition before the Supreme Court to forfeit the legislative franchise of ABS-CBN Corp. and its subsidiary, ABS-CBN Convergence, for alleged violations of the terms and conditions of its franchise.

Meanwhile, lawmakers at the House reiterated their call to expedite the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN, saying there is no guarantee that the network would continue operations after its franchise expires.

Eleven bills seeking to renew the network’s franchise are pending at the House.

“When the ABS-CBN franchises expire, there is nothing that would prevent any regulatory agency of the government from knocking on the gates of ABS-CBN to serve notices of closure, or cease and desist orders on or immediately after the expiration,” Rep. Lawrence Fortun said.

“Instead of giving ABS-CBN an illusory remedy, the House of Representatives must expedite the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise, which has long been pending in the House committee on legislative franchises,” Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said.

Lagman and Fortun authored House Resolution 639 “urging the Committee on Legislative Franchises to report out without further delay for plenary action” the pending bills.

Provisional authority

Both lawmakers said there is no legal anchor or basis for NTC to grant a provisional permit.

“After the franchise expires, it is now entirely within the prerogative of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to issue or not to issue any provisional authority to ABS-CBN,” Fortun said.

Lagman, meanwhile, said the NTC cannot “resurrect” an expired legislative franchise by granting a “provisional authority to operate.”

Joint Concurrent Resolution

Meanwhile, Fortun urged Congress to be clear “clear and categorical in its intention” to allow the extended operation of ABS-CBN pending franchise renewal.

“A House Resolution or, better still, a Joint Concurrent Resolution of both the House and the Senate urging the NTC and other regulatory agencies to give ABS-CBN the provisional authority to continue operating while its application for franchise renewal is still pending in the House, will be in order,” he said.

Cebu City First District Rep. Raul del Mar also prodded Congress to do its job by hearing the ABS-CBN renewal despite the quo warranto petition before the high court. WITH DIVINA NOVA JOY DELA CRUZ

https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/02/18/news/headlines/drilon-seeks-extension-of-abs-cbn-franchise-2/688089/