Progressive solons urge House franchise committee to tackle ABS-CBN renewal bills

By Charissa Luci-Atienza

Progressive lawmakers challenged the House committee on legislative franchises on Thursday (Feb. 5) to prove its independence from the Executive by immediately tackling measures seeking to renew the franchise of broadcast network ABS-CBN for another 25 years.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate exhorted his colleagues to prove that they are not a rubber stamp of Malacañang by exercising their mandate to hear measures concerning press freedom.

He said the House committee on legislative franchises, chaired by Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez, has yet to calendar the measures for its discussion.

Alvarez said last year his panel would tackle the bills in early 2020.

“Let us fulfill our responsibility that we are an independent branch of our government. Let us fulfill our duties and responsibilities as legislators to tackle the application for renewal of the franchise of ABS-CBN,” Zarate told reporters in a press conference.

“The hearing on the application for the renewal of franchise of the ABS-CBN should be immediately set.”

He said the non-action of the House on the matter would imperil the livelihood of the network’s 11,000 employees.

The Lopez-owned broadcasting firm would have to close down its operations by March 30, 2020 if the legislative franchise is not granted.



ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said in the Alvarez panel hearing on Wednesday
(Feb.5) that Quezon City Rep. Precious Hipolito-Castelo had inquired about the status of the franchise bills.

“The answer was they are still studying the bills. They have long been studying these proposals since the 17th Congress,” Castro said. “We should tackle this so that the burden will not be on us, but on President Duterte.”

Last year, Laguna Rep. Sol Aragones appealed to President Duterte to “reconsider his position” as far as the non-renewal of television giant ABS-CBN’s franchise or its sale is concerned.

The chairman of the House committee on tourism expressed her hope that the chief executive would show concern and compassion to the thousands of employees of ABS-CBN who will be affected either by the non-renewal of the TV network’s legislative franchise, or its sale.

“I appeal to the President to reconsider his position on the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise, as its non-renewal or its sale to third parties may threaten the livelihoods of over 11,000 employees––many of whom I worked with during my stint as a reporter in the network,” she said.

“The past three-plus years have shown that the President’s actions are guided by his concern and his compassion for our people.”

Aragones is one of the principal authors of a bill seeking to renew the ABS-CBN franchise for another 25 years.

In a speech before earthquake victims in M’lang, North Cotabato in December last year, President Duterte said it would be better for the Lopezes to sell their network, hinting at the possibility that its franchise will not be granted.

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano had given the assurance that the House of Representatives would give due attention to the measures concerning freedom of the press, including the proposed renewal of the legislative franchise of ABS-CBN Corp.

He said like with any other hearings, it is the obligation of Congress to be “fair” and “to bring out those real issues and to give the other side the opportunity to respond and determine who is right.”

In 2017, President Duterte publicly declared he would oppose the renewal of ABS-CBN’s legislative franchise. Since then, he has launched repeated tirades against the network for its supposed refusal to run his advertisements during the 2016 election campaign and for showing an ad critical of him.

Among the authors of the franchise bill are Aragones, Nueva Ecija Rep. Micaela Violago, Deputy Speakers Vilma Santos and Baby Arenas, Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Ramirez-Sato, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, and Albay Rep. Joey Salceda.

The House of Representatives during the previous 17th Congress failed to act on the bill.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2020/02/06/progressive-solons-urge-house-franchise-committee-to-tackle-abs-cbn-renewal-bills/