By JOHN CARLO M. CAHINHINAN
Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez has appealed to Solicitor General Jose Calida to let congressmen decide over the fate of the franchise renewal of broadcast giant ABS-CBN amid its expiration by the end of March.
Rodriguez’s remarks came after Calida is reportedly planning to file a quo warranto case before the Supreme Court to question the return of the Kapamilya network to Lopez family in 1986.
Rodriguez stressed that Calida “should give a chance to Congress,”since the legislative body “has the exclusive authority to grant franchises or extend them.”
“There should no other body that should try to get this power away from Congress,” he said.
The former dean of San Sebastian College of Law reminded Calida that rather than questioning the ownership of ABS-CBN before the high tribunal, he should just allow members of the House committee on legislative franchises and the House of Representatives as a whole to dictate the fate of the Kapamilya network rather than creating a shortcut that would only further project the current administration as enemy of the free press.
“Let us decide, the majority will decide—grant the ABS-CBN renewal,” said Rodriguez.
Rodriguez, one of the nine lawmakers who recently filed similar legislations to grant ABS-CBN a fresh 25-years legislative franchise case also reminded Committee of legislative franchise chair and Palawan Rep. Franz “Chicoy” Alvarez that it would be bad if the broadcast giant’s franchise would lapse by March just because of inaction on his part.
“Please call these bills for hearing because it is the right of congressmen to file bills. It is our right that our bills should be heard,” Rodriguez stressed.
“It cannot just, it would just lapse because of inaction? That would be really a bad move on the part of the committees to be able not to hear the bills filed by 11 congressmen,” he added.
Rodriguez said “time is of the essence” right now since there are only 21 sessions days remaining before Congress’ adjournment on March 11.
ABS-CBN needs to secure the passage of their congressional franchise on or before March 30, 2020—the expiration date set by its current franchise under Republic Act No. 7966.
https://politics.com.ph/let-congressmen-decide-on-fate-of-abs-cbn-franchise-rodriguez-tells-calida/
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Media groups mount drive to ‘save’ ABS-CBN from attacks, shutdown
MEDIA groups have cried foul against what they call the Duterte administration’s “Marcosian game plan” to derail the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN Corp., calling it a blatant attack to suppress press freedom marred with “putrid motives.”
The pushback was led by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), which launched an online signature campaign to support the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN. It aims to gather at least 5 million signatures for the campaign.
ABS-CBN is required under the law to secure a congressional franchise as a television network. Duterte has been attacking the network since 2016, claiming that it is biased and unfair. He also cited tax cases, which have since been cleared out, as his reason for blocking the franchise of the network.
Congress has yet to deliberate on the franchise bill. The existing franchise of ABS-CBN is set to expire on March 30.
In a statement, AlterMidya, a coalition of independent media entities, said President Duterte is weaponizing his power and influence in the legislature by publicly admitting that he will block the renewal of the franchise of ABS-CBN, one of the two largest networks in the Philippines.
“The heightened threats by the Duterte administration to derail ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal speak volumes of how the President is following the Marcosian game plan to the letter. How can the nation forget how in the early years of the Marcos dictatorship, the regime confiscated TV and radio stations owned by the Lopezes and transferred the control to his cronies?” the statement read.
AlterMidya added that Duterte’s move is textbook “Marcosian,” as he earlier suggested that the Lopezes simply sell the network to another entity to save it.
“Duterte is brazenly picking instructions from that same playbook, even suggesting that the owners of ABS-CBN just sell the network, increasing suspicions that he wants the ownership of one of the biggest media networks in the country to go to one of his cronies,” the statement read.
The group also scored the President for allegedly using “a plethora of legal tools” through the Office of the Solicitor General, which is reportedly using a “quo warranto petition” to cancel the existing franchise of ABS-CBN.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/01/21/media-groups-mount-drive-to-save-abs-cbn-from-attacks-shutdown/
The pushback was led by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), which launched an online signature campaign to support the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN. It aims to gather at least 5 million signatures for the campaign.
ABS-CBN is required under the law to secure a congressional franchise as a television network. Duterte has been attacking the network since 2016, claiming that it is biased and unfair. He also cited tax cases, which have since been cleared out, as his reason for blocking the franchise of the network.
Congress has yet to deliberate on the franchise bill. The existing franchise of ABS-CBN is set to expire on March 30.
In a statement, AlterMidya, a coalition of independent media entities, said President Duterte is weaponizing his power and influence in the legislature by publicly admitting that he will block the renewal of the franchise of ABS-CBN, one of the two largest networks in the Philippines.
“The heightened threats by the Duterte administration to derail ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal speak volumes of how the President is following the Marcosian game plan to the letter. How can the nation forget how in the early years of the Marcos dictatorship, the regime confiscated TV and radio stations owned by the Lopezes and transferred the control to his cronies?” the statement read.
AlterMidya added that Duterte’s move is textbook “Marcosian,” as he earlier suggested that the Lopezes simply sell the network to another entity to save it.
“Duterte is brazenly picking instructions from that same playbook, even suggesting that the owners of ABS-CBN just sell the network, increasing suspicions that he wants the ownership of one of the biggest media networks in the country to go to one of his cronies,” the statement read.
The group also scored the President for allegedly using “a plethora of legal tools” through the Office of the Solicitor General, which is reportedly using a “quo warranto petition” to cancel the existing franchise of ABS-CBN.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/01/21/media-groups-mount-drive-to-save-abs-cbn-from-attacks-shutdown/
Tackle ABS-CBN franchise bill, House urged
As Congress resumed session on Monday, Cagayan de Oro City Second District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez called on the House Committee on Legislative Franchises to immediately tackle bills seeking the renewal of the franchise of ABS-CBN.
Rodriguez, one of the authors of 10 pending bills, said there are only a few days left before the network’s franchise expires. Republic Ac 7966, which granted ABS-CBN’s 25-year franchise from its enactment on March 30, 1995, will expire in March 2020.
“Congress will adjourn for its Holy Week break on March 11. There will only be 22 session days between now and March 11,” he added.
Rodriguez urged the Legislative Franchises committee to “hear all the authors of the 10 bills and stakeholders, specially ABS-CBN.”
“Then, the committee will have to decide to renew or not to renew the franchise. But it is not proper not to act on my bill and the other bills,” he said.
Rep. Franz Alvarez, head of the Legislative Franchises committee, earlier vowed that his panel would thoroughly study and hear all sides regarding the company’s application for franchise renewal.
President Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly criticized ABS-CBN for allegedly not airing a 2016 campaign that he paid for. A few weeks ago, he told owners of the TV network to sell ABS-CBN because there was no guarantee that its franchise would be renewed.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/01/21/news/top-stories/tackle-abs-cbn-franchise-bill-house-urged/676177/
Rodriguez, one of the authors of 10 pending bills, said there are only a few days left before the network’s franchise expires. Republic Ac 7966, which granted ABS-CBN’s 25-year franchise from its enactment on March 30, 1995, will expire in March 2020.
“Congress will adjourn for its Holy Week break on March 11. There will only be 22 session days between now and March 11,” he added.
Rodriguez urged the Legislative Franchises committee to “hear all the authors of the 10 bills and stakeholders, specially ABS-CBN.”
“Then, the committee will have to decide to renew or not to renew the franchise. But it is not proper not to act on my bill and the other bills,” he said.
Rep. Franz Alvarez, head of the Legislative Franchises committee, earlier vowed that his panel would thoroughly study and hear all sides regarding the company’s application for franchise renewal.
President Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly criticized ABS-CBN for allegedly not airing a 2016 campaign that he paid for. A few weeks ago, he told owners of the TV network to sell ABS-CBN because there was no guarantee that its franchise would be renewed.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/01/21/news/top-stories/tackle-abs-cbn-franchise-bill-house-urged/676177/
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