House Committee on Legislative Franchises Chairman Franz Alvarez said it will be best for another ABS-CBN franchise application to be discussed in the next congress.
In a statement Thursday, January 28, Alvarez said he believed the House leadership has already made a consensus to take up the ABS-CBN franchise bill in 2022.
“Based on my understanding from the House leadership, the ABS-CBN franchise issue is best left to the next Congress,” he said.
At the start of this year, several lawmakers have made fresh moves to revive discussions on the ABS-CBN franchise as Senate President Tito Sotto, Lipa Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto, and Camarines Sur Rep. Gabriel Bordado files their respective franchise bills.
“The ABS-CBN franchise issue was put to rest when the committee, voting 70-11, rejected the network’s franchise application on July 10, 2020.
“Under the rules, any one of the 70 House members who voted against the franchise application could file a motion for reconsideration on behalf of ABS-CBN to challenge the decision of the committee. Unfortunately, there was none, thus the committee decision has become final,” Alvarez added.
President Duterte however also renewed his tirade and opposition against the network’s renewal citing long-settled issue about tax payments and government loans.
“For all I care, you can have a thousand franchises. You will not see the light until you come to government with clean hands,” he said.
Meanwhile, Alvarez’s statement also came after Anakalusugan Partylist Rep. Mike Defensor who is one of the main oppositors during the recent ABS-CBN franchise hearing asked for a plenary vote on the aborted bill seeking to give ABS-CBN interim franchise.
Defensor however failed to note that the interim bill has been moot and academic since it only seeks to grant the Kapamilya network provisional franchise until October 2020 which in effect has already lapsed.
ABS-CBN has been shut down since May 5, 2020, following the expiration of its franchise and the cease and desist order from the National Telecommunications Commission. Its franchise application meanwhile was subsequently denied by 70 Cayetano-led Congressmen on July 10 even though several government agencies have cleared ABS-CBN of any gross constitutional violation as alleged by those opposed to the franchise.
