Philippine parliament OKs limited franchise for previously banned broadcaster ABS-CBN

MANILA, May 14, 2020, The Manila Times. The House of Representatives has approved on second reading a bill granting ABS-CBN Corp. a limited franchise that will last until Oct. 31, 2020. The House convened as a committee of the whole to tackle House Bill 6732, which seeks to grant a full franchise to operate, install and maintain radio and television broadcasting stations that would allow it to operate for five months. The bill was approved via voice vote, The Manila Times reported.

The measure will be presented on the floor for third and final reading. The session will resume on Monday, May 18.

The bill was filed on Wednesday, 30 minutes before the plenary session started, by Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano; Deputy Speakers Neptali Gonzales, Raneo Abu, Roberto Puno, Dan Fernandez and Luis Raymund Villafuerte; Majority Leader Martin Romualdez; and Bulacan Rep. Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado.

In his sponsorship speech, Cayetano explained that the provisional franchise was sought to give the House and the Senate ample time to deliberate on pending bills seeking to grant the network a long-term franchise.

“Through this measure that we have filed today, and I am now sponsoring, we will provide ABS-CBN with a provisional franchise valid for Oct. 31, 2020, within which time both the House of Representatives and the Senate will hear the issues being raised for and against the renewal and assess, with complete impartiality and fairness, whether or not the network shall be granted a franchise for another 25 years,” he said.

He added that the franchise bills must undergo “fair and impartial” hearings because the network faces “grave issues” and had been accused of violating labor, tax and constitutional laws.

“We cannot, in good conscience, sweep the accusations under the rug and proceed as if nothing happened,” Cayetano said.

Villafuerte agreed that a comprehensive hearing should be held.

“The main rationale of this bill is to enable Congress to have an impartial, comprehensive and an extensive hearing because I believe, with my [co-]authors who filed this bill, that if we do not extensively hear the issues surrounding this franchise, we will be reneging on our constitutional duty and mandate to ensure due process that will enable us, members of Congress, to decide freely and objectively whether to approve or deny this franchise,” he said.

Cayetano said Congress was focused on responding to “important questions” on rebuilding the lives of the people amid the pandemic.

“At this time of great peril, when the whole world is on the brink, is it really too much to ask that we hold off on the discussion of issues that are divisive? At least until we are able to take care of each other,” he added.

At the Senate, Minority Leader Franklin Drilon filed Senate Bill (SB) 1530, which provides for the nonexpiration of a franchise so long as the application for its renewal has been filed.
SB 1530 seeks to amend the Revised Administrative Code, which provides for the nonexpiration of a license, where the licensee has filed a timely and sufficient application for renewal, until a final determination by the agency is made. The amendment expands the provision to also include franchises granted by Congress.

“While it is recognized that a franchise, license or certificate is not a privilege, this rule must be tempered with considerations of equity, fairness, due process and equal protection, particularly when the service being provided has been so woven into everyday life that its abrupt cessation could give rise to devastating consequences,” Drilon said.

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