Several lawmakers have shared their thoughts regarding ABS-CBN’s franchise woes.
In a statement Monday, May 4, 2020, Senator Migz Zubiri said there’s no reason for NTC not to grant provisional authority to ABS-CBN since that was explicitly asked by both houses of congress.
“There is no reason why NTC should not grant a provisional authority for ABS-CBN… That is very explicit that Congress and Senate approve the giving of provisional authority,” said Zubiri.
Zubiri: There is no reason why NTC should not grant a provisional authority for ABS-CBN… That is very explicit that Congress and Senate approve the giving of provisional authority. | via @_katrinadomingo
— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) May 4, 2020
House of Representative’s Congressmen Rep. Tonypet Albano and Rep. Alfredo Garbin have also issued their statements regarding the ABS-CBN franchise.
In their statements tweeted by ABS-CBN reporter RG Cruz, the two Congressmen both agreed that there is no reason for ABS-CBN to close down saying it is an established precedent that while a franchise is currently pending in Congress they can continue operating via provisional authority from NTC which both houses have already asked the commission.
https://twitter.com/R_G_Cruz888/status/1257177699606392832
“The good Speaker and I, with the whole Congress, again reiterate our call to NTC to give a provisional authority as we will deliberate soon the merits of granting or canceling the ABS-CBN franchise,” said Albano.
House Committee on legislative franchises vice-chair Tonypet Albano cites media's role during this pandemic as justification to keep ABS-CBN on the air after the network's broadcast franchise expires. #ABSCBNFranchise https://t.co/qkMxpOHmLK pic.twitter.com/dGxDIGSvej
— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) May 4, 2020
“I see no reason for NTC to close down ABS-CBN. In fact, it is more important now than ever, for media like ABS-CBN who has a far reaching network, to be open during this pandemic,” Albano added.
https://twitter.com/R_G_Cruz888/status/1257181780282503173
“Established precedents in the ruling of NTC on a pending application for renewal of franchise is that if the franchise was filed on time and pending deliberations before the franchise committee the franchise expired, the NTC allows the applicant to operate until the committee on franchise decide with finality,” said Garbin.
Meanwhile, the House Committee on Legislative Franchises Chair Chikoy Alvarez also said that there’s no reason for ABS-CBN to shut down their operation since they’ve already given NTC the authority to grant ABS-CBN provisional authority.
“With the legal opinion of the Department of Justice and the authority given by the House of Representatives, there is no reason for ABS-CBN to discontinue or stop their operations,” he said.
