Five senators from the Senate majority bloc are urging the government to grant the ABS-CBN temporary permit to operate while Congress is yet to act on the renewal of its legislative franchise.
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senators Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Sherwin Gatchalian, and Joel Villanueva will file a concurrent resolution seeking the continued operations of the broadcast company until the 18th Congress decides on its franchise renewal, and for the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to issue a provisional authority.
ABS-CBN’s 25-year franchise is set to expire on May 4.
Amid debates on whether or not the network should be allowed to continue doing business after its franchise lapsed, the senators, in their draft resolution provided to media Monday, stressed the impact of the non-renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise in the broadcast industry and in the country’s economy.
“The non-renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise will result in the loss of thousands of jobs as the network has over 11,000 employees including its artists, independent contractors, content creators who are spread out in ABS-CBN’s information and entertainment group of companies,” the measure read.
“In fact, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia was quoted as saying that the non-renewal of the franchise of ABS-CBN may affect investor confidence and get in the way of promoting diversity in the economy and fostering competition,” he added.
In calling for the grant of provisional authority to the ABS-CBN, the lawmakers cited “numerous instances” when various franchise holders were allowed to operate under the terms of their existing franchise even after its lapse and pending its renewal.
“In the case of CBCP (Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines), it was allowed to operate for a period of almost two years from the lapse of its franchise in 2017 until its renewal in 2019,” they said in the resolution.
The measure also recalled Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra telling the Senate public services committee last week that Congress, through a concurrent resolution, could authorize the NTC to provide a provisional authority to operate pending deliberation on bills on the network’s franchise renewal.
“There is an urgent need to devise government interventions to ensure that ABS-CBN will continue its operations pending Congress’ deliberations of the network’s franchise renewal,” it said.
Villanueva, who first confirmed the filing of the concurrent resolution, maintained that Congress has the constitutional mandate to discuss the franchise application of ABS-CBN.
“The lives of 11,071 workers of ABS-CBN, not to mention their families, will be affected if the network will not be allowed to operate,” he reiterated.
A concurrent resolution must be passed by both houses of Congress to express their sense on matters concerning the legislative branch. (Vanne Terrazola)
