- Speaker Alan Cayetano guaranteed there is enough time to hear ABS-CBN’s franchise.
- ABS-CBN’s franchise is set to expire in March 2020.
“We have enough time.”
House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said that there will be enough time to tackle ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal bills.
“We have enough time. Yung budget na P4.1 trillion natapos natin ng isang buwan, yun pa kayang franchise na siguro sobrang… yung issues, two-three hearings, sobrang exhaustive na nun,” he said.
In a statement Wednesday, January 22 in Batangas City, Cayetano made sure that Congress will hear and finish ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal on time.
According to Cayetano, he already spoke to House Committee on Legislative Franchises Chair Franz Alvarez and they are set to start hearing the issue in the first week of February.
“I talked to Chairman Chicoy Alvarez and he’s recommending we start… there are about 40 to 50 franchise bills. So, first week of February daw he will start, and kung sino daw ang may kumpletong requirements, he will start the hearings,” he said.
Prior to the resumption of Congress’ session, Alvarez also confirmed that they will start the deliberation on ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal bills staring the last week of January 2020.
The House speaker also reiterated that they will conduct fair hearing for both sides, ABS-CBN and the government and those who might oppose the renewal.
“I’ll just reiterate, ‘no, that we are committed to Filipino people that we will have fair hearings. That we will hear issues and also hear bygones,” Cayetano added.
ABS-CBN’s franchise is set to expire in March 2020.
The Kapamilya network has been battling for its franchise renewal since 2016.
The franchise renewal bills have been stalled in Congress for years due to President Rodrigo Duterte’s repeated attacks against the network.
Duterte kept on accusing ABS-CBN of swindling his money after the network allegedly failed to air his campaign ads.
