By BEN ROSARIO
Voting 70-11, the House Committee on Legislative Franchises on Friday voted to deny 11 legislative measures proposing to grant a fresh 25-year legislative franchise for network giant ABS-CBN Corp.
The vote concluded ABS-CBN’s bid to return to the air after it stopped operations on May 4, the day its previous 25-year congressional franchise ended.
The network started seeking the House of Representatives’ approval of a franchise extension during the 16th Congress, during the administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III, known as an ally of the embattled network.
Chaired by Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez, the House Committee on Legislative Franchises arrived at the decision after conducting 12 days of joint hearings with the House Committee on Good Government that tackled issues that hounded the network’s bid to resume operations.
The 85 panel members present, 36 of them ex-officio members being officials of the chamber, voted for the approval or denial of “Resolution Denying the Franchise Application ABS-CBN Corporation to Construct, Install, Establish, Operate, and Maintain Radio & Broadcasting Stations in the PH.”
Affirmative votes, numbering 70, upheld the resolution and rejected the franchise bills while the 11 negative votes sought to grant the Kapamilya network a new congressional license to operate a broadcast network.
Only one committee member abstained while two decided to inhibit themselves from the voting.
With the vote, Alvarez approved a motion to lay on the table the 11 legislative proposals to allow ABS-CBN to get a franchise.
The 40-page resolution was presented by the Technical Working Group that was formed Thursday to make a recommendation on the voting based on the summations presented for and against the ABS-CBN franchise application.
House Deputy Speaker and Cebu Rep. Pablo John Garcia, TWG chairman, and House Assistant Majority Leader Xavier Jesus Romualdo of Camiguin approved the resolution denying the grant of franchise while the third TWG member, House Assistant Minority Leader Stella Luz Quimbo of Marikina City dissented.
Before the voting, Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas declared he was inhibiting himself from the proceedings for fear of conflict of interest.
“This representation as an actor /producer has been engaged for artistic projects with the network,” Vargas said.
On Thursday, Abang Lingkod partylist Rep. Joseph Paduano withdrew his authorship of one of the ABS-CBN franchise proposal while Kabayan Rep. Ron Salo moved to lay his bill proposing a new franchise on the table.
Following a strong protest from the network, ACT CIS party-list Rep. Eric Go Yap, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, clarified his claim that he was offered a P200-million bribe to support the ABS CBN franchise.
Yap said he never claimed that the unidentified “briber” was sent by the management of the network.
In upholding the TWG recommendation, the Legislative Franchise committee in effect ignored arguments that refusal to grant the franchise is tantamount to violation of the constitutional rights to press freedom and freedom of expression.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the decision to disapprove the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN is reminiscent of the dark pages in the Philippine press history during martial law.
“I am deeply saddened by this episode in the history of our nation. It is reminiscent of the dark pages in the history of Philippine press in 1972,” Drilon said in a statement.
Drilon pointed out democracy thrives when there is free press and when journalists can exercise complete freedom to do their mandate of reporting facts without fear.
“But with what happened to ABS-CBN, it has shown that the “sword of Damocles” can be unleashed any time,” the Senate Minority Leader lamented.
“After monitoring the exhaustive proceedings in the House of Representatives, I am more convinced that the only fault of ABS-CBN is it stepped on some powerful political toes, hence he sword has been unleashed on it,” he stressed.
Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara shared Drilon’s view, noting how the Bureau of Internal Review (BIR) and even the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) themselves cleared ABS-CBN from any possible violation of the law.
“We’ve seen how many government agencies have already said ABS-CBN did not commit any violations, like what the others were saying,” Angara said in a separate statement.
“This will have a negative impact not only on the media or broadcasting industry but likewise to the advertising and creative industries – producing, editing, musical scoring, acting, directing, set design, and others,” Angara lamented.
“Apart from this, it will also have a negative effect on press freedom and our democracy,” he also said.
Drilon said it is sad to know the fact that ABS-CBN would have to wait until 2022 when the new Congress is elected to apply again for a franchise renewal.
But he said ABS-CBN has been through this before during martial law in 1972. “I am confident that it can face this difficult trial once more,” Drilon stated.
“The ABS-CBN as an institution can survive this episode, no doubt, but the people whose livelihood depends on the network are the real casualties of this unfortunate and politically-charged event,” he stressed.
“The 11,000 workers losing jobs next month have families to feed, rent and mortgages to pay, and children to send to schools. They will suffer the consequences of the decision of the House of Representatives. This could have been avoided had the Congress granted the franchise renewal of the broadcasting network,” he lamented. (with a report from Hannah Torregoza)
