MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives has formally asked the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to issue a provisional authority to allow broadcast network ABS-CBN to continue operating even after the expiration of its franchise in May.
In a letter signed by House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and House Committee on Legislative Franchises chairman Franz Alvarez, the House panel enjoined the NTC to grant ABS-CBN a provisional permit to operate effective from May 4, 2020 until such time that the Congress has made a decision on its application.
The House leaders informed the agency that the panel has started deliberating on the network’s application for franchise renewal, noting instruction to all interested parties to submit their position papers for or against the application within 60 days from February 24.
They stressed that the House of Representatives has the exclusive original jurisdiction and authority to act on franchise applications.
“As we have been saying from the start, since ABS-CBN will be allowed to continue its broadcast while we are hearing their renewal, there is no urgency that would justify a hasty proceeding. We want to be sure that this matter is given the importance it deserves,” Cayetano said in a statement.
Cayetano also reiterated his earlier stand that Congress will prioritize more urgent measures, including the rehabilitation of Batangas following Taal Volcano eruption, the prevention of the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the creation of the Departments of Overseas Filipino Workers and Disaster Resilience, as well as several revenue measures being pushed by the Duterte administration that will help bring in millions of new jobs.
There are 12 bills seeking to renew ABS-CBN’s franchise that remain pending before the Committee on Legislative Franchises. A proposal for a concurrent resolution has also been filed in the Senate seeking the issuance of a provisional permit for ABS-CBN.
In the same letter, the House also asked the NTC to grant ABS-CBN
Corporation’s subsidiaries and affiliates, whose franchise applications are
pending deliberation with the House Committee on Legislative Franchises, the
same provisional authority.
The said subsidiaries and affiliates are ABS-CBN Convergence, Inc., Sky Cable
Corporation, and Amcara Broadcasting Network, Inc.
They likewise urged the NTC to include in the respective provisional
authorities “terms and conditions that the agency deems appropriate to protect
public interest consistent with applicable laws, rules, and regulations.”
The House panel also confirmed that the ABS-CBN franchise will expire on May 4, and not on March 30 as widely reported earlier “because RA (Republic Act) 7966 stipulates that the franchise has become effective 15 days from the date of its publication, which was April 19,1995.”
The letter, dated February 26, was addressed to NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba.
The post House panel asks NTC to grant provisional authority to ABS-CBN appeared first on UNTV News.