The House Committee on Legislative Franchises formally started tackling yesterday more than 10 measures seeking the renewal of ABS-CBN’s legislative franchise by accepting position papers for or against the bills.
The House panel, chaired by Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez, invited not only the members of Congress, but all concerned stakeholders to submit their position papers for or against the ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal.
“The chair would like to direct the committee secretary that the committee is now open to accept all the position papers from all stakeholders. Committee Secretariat, please communicate that all those who wish to submit position papers na ready na po ang committee na tanggapin ang position papers ng lahat ng anti or for ng renewal ng ABS-CBN, para sa darating na panahon, bago tayo magkaron ng formal na hearing ay mapag-aralan at mareview ang lahat ng positions,” Alvarez said at the start of the proceedings.
During the proceedings, Engr. Annaliza Buenviaje of the National Telecommunications Commission told the panel that there is a 1994 Memorandum of Understanding between Congress, NTC, and Kapisanan ng Brodkaster ng Pilipinas which allowed a franchisee to continue operating while its application for legislative franchise is pending before Congress.
“I haven’t read the full text, but there in an understanding between KBP, Congress, and NTC, that while franchise is pending, the existing operators can still operate their broadcast activities,” she said.
Alvarez assured the authors of the franchise bills that ABS-CBN can still operate, even if its legislative franchise lapses on March 30.
“May precedent tayo from the last Congress ano, like in the franchise ng Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, hindi natin sila nahear kaagad, naglapse din yung kanilang franchise pero hindi naman sila pinastop ng kanilang operator until merong final action yung committee,” he said.
He said they will accept position papers until April, and will likely start the deliberations by May or by August after President Duterte’s State-of-the-Nation Address, at the latest.
But Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, one of the principal authors of the franchise renewal measures, said these should be immediately calendared by the Alvarez panel even before Congress officially adjourns on March 14.
“We only have eight session days. Of course kaming mga author, gusto sana namin macalendar na siya at this point na hindi pa tayo nagbebreak,” he said. (Charissa L. Atienza)
