PHILIPPINES: AN ESTIMATED FOUR MILLION ATTEND POPE'S WORLD YOUTH DAY MASS

In a climax to Pope John Paul's visit to the Philippines an estimated four million people, the largest crowds to greet the Pontiff during his 16 years in office, attended his World Youth Day Mass on Sunday (January 15), Vatican officials said.

On Saturday the Pope attended a youth rally in central Manila's Luneta Park where police estimated up to half a million people awaited him.

They beat drums, set off firecrackers, sang and chanted for 15 minutes when the Pontiff arrived at the park. The Pope playfully waved his cane at dancers greeting him during the ceremonies.

Police and Vatican officials put the crowd at Sunday's mass in Manila's Rizal Park at more than ten million.

The 74-year-old Pontiff had originally been scheduled to travel the three kilometres (two miles) from the Apostolic Nunciature to the park by road.

But he had to travel by helicopter because roads leading there were completely blocked by people.

The Pope, who has had difficulty in walking since surgery on his right leg last year, was helped from the white-painted helicopter.

A delegation from China's state-sanctioned Catholic church attended the event in one of the clearest indications of warming relations since Beijing broke with the Vatican in the 1950s.

World Youth Day is a Roman Catholic event held every year, alternatively in Rome and another city.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (JANUARY 14-15, 1995) 

(RTV/POOL-ACCESS ALL) 

(JANUARY 14) 

1. GV NIGHT SCENES POPE JOHN PAUL MOVING THROUGH 

STREETS 0.05 

2. GV/SV CROWDS (5 SHOTS) 0.20 

3. SV POPE TWIRLING CANE 0.33 

4. GV CROWD SINGING 0.38 

5. SV/LV POPE SWAYING WITH SINGERS ON STAGE (2 SHOTS) 0.50 

6. AERIAL VIEW OF HUGE CROWD HOLDING CANDLES 0.54 

7. GV POPEMOBILE TRAVELLING THROUGH CROWDS 1.04 

8. SV AUSTRALIAN FLAG/ZOOM OUT AUSTRALIAN 

DELEGATES (2 SHOTS) 1.12 

8. GV/SV PEOPLE PRAYING /SLEEPING (4 SHOTS) 1.36 

(JANUARY 15) 

9. SV PAN CHINESE DELEGATION/FLAG 1.42 

10. SLV HELICOPTER - POPE ARRIVING 1.50 

11. GV MILLIONS CHEERING 1.53 

12. SV POPE ARRIVES AND WAVES 2.04 

13. GV CARDINALS 2.08 

14. SV POPE SAYING "YOUNG PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES AND ALL OVER THE WORLD, I AM VERY HAPPY TO BE WITH YOU" (ENGLISH) 2.20 

15. AERIAL/PAN OF CROWD (2 SHOTS) 2.33 

16. SV POPE GREETING PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT FIDEL RAMOS 2.39 

17. SV SECURITY FORCES WITH SNIPER RIFLES ON ROOF OF NEARBY BUILDING 2.43 

18. AERIAL OF CROWD 2.47 

19. GV POPE CLIMBING INTO HELICOPTER AFTER SERVICE/HELICOPTER LEAVING 2.59

‘Politics doomed ABS-CBN provisional franchise’

What prompted House members to drop a proposal to grant provisional franchise to broadcast giant ABS-CBN while Congress deliberates on its franchise renewal application?

Even Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, who initiated the measure that could have allowed the network to return on air under a temporary franchise until Oct. 31, was surprised by the sudden turnaround in the chamber’s plenary.

“I did not expect it to happen because in my view and when we speak of fairness, we should allow ABS-CBN to go on air and cover the hearings so we can judge whether or not its coverage is really fair on the issue once arguments are presented,” he admitted in a radio interview yesterday.

Cayetano said the House is a collegial body that decides through a consensus or majority vote, wherein members can change their positions anytime.

He said that after the chamber passed his House Bill 6723 on first and second reading on May 13, political parties met with their leaders and members in the following days.

“Some political parties and congressmen, other members of the government and even private citizens had plenty of discussions... You know individual votes of congressmen can change once they meet with their political blocs or regional blocs,” he said.

Cayetano said before the chamber dropped his bill on Tuesday, they had an all-member caucus wherein even authors of franchise renewal bills stood firm in their positions but had to follow the stand of their respective parties.

He did not name which political blocs decided to reject the provisional franchise bill.

But during a virtual plenary session, representatives of major political parties led by the PDP-Laban and National Unity Party expressed support for Cayetano’s leadership, but moved to bring the issue back to the legislative franchises committee for hearings on the 25-year franchise bills.

“As I said, the well has been poisoned,” Cayetano said, citing the opinion of several lawmakers that the provisional franchise might be legally questionable.

Another House leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a “majority” of legislators “do not support the franchise renewal for ABS-CBN.”

“If we will have the voting at this time, a clear majority will reject the franchise bills. But we don’t know yet what can happen during and after the hearings, that’s why we have to listen to both sides,” the source told The STAR.

Cayetano admitted that the ABS-CBN franchise issue has become a “rollercoaster ride” since the National Telecommunications Commission shut down the network on May 5.

He gave assurance that the network would be accorded due process during the hearing.

Cayetano said the hearing will start on May 26 and the committee on franchises chaired by Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez would conduct hearings two to three times a week, even after Congress adjourns sine die on June 3.

“I do not foresee the hearings to go beyond July,” he said, adding the House decision may be ready for the state of the nation address of President Duterte.

Labor coalition Nagkaisa sought the immediate approval of the ABS-CBN franchise to prevent displacement of the network’s 11,000 employees. Mayen Jaymalin

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/05/22/2015695/politics-doomed-abs-cbn-provisional-franchise

House set to hear ABS-CBN franchise renewal bills on May 26

House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has confirmed the House of Representatives will finally conduct a congressional hearing on the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN.

He said the hearing is set on Tuesday, May 26, 2020.

In an ambush interview on Thursday afternoon, Cayetano said he talked with House Committee on Legislative Franchises chairman Franz “Chikoy” Alvarez and "assured him he has complete autonomy with the vice-chairman and sabi niya, when he starts sa Tuesday, itutuloy-tuloy na ito”.

“I will be making the session hall available to make sure the witnesses na dapat nandoon ay may social distancing at saka there is enough space for everyone,” he added.

It may also be a joint hearing with the House Committee on Good Government.

“I think naglabas na ng notice si Chairman Chikoy and I think magjo-joint din ang Good Government para yung NTC [National Telecommunications Commission] at saka yung SolGen [Solicitor General] ay makapag-participate din,” said Cayetano.

The lower house last Tuesday abandoned a bill that would have reopened ABS-CBN sooner rather than later, opting instead to take the longer route of committee deliberations.

The decision, hammered out during an afternoon majority caucus, was a complete departure from Speaker Cayetano’s proposed provisional franchise, which was already passed on second reading last week.

Instead of tackling a temporary franchise bill until October this year, congressmen decided to take up the network’s long-pending application of a new 25-year operating franchise.

ABS-CBN's franchise expired on May 4.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/21/20/house-set-to-hear-abs-cbn-franchise-renewal-bills-on-may-26