Senate set to hear ABS-CBN's franchise renewal

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate is set to hear the grant of legislative franchise of broadcast network ABS-CBN, Sen. Grace Poe said Monday.

Poe, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Services, said in a press conference that they can hear the proposal to extend the franchise of the network giant even if the House of Representatives has yet to transmit their version of the bill.

She recounted that the Congress conducted simultaneous hearings for the TRAIN law or the budget.

Sen Poe as chairman of the Comm on Public Services is set to hear the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN ahead of House of Reps. She said this done just like in GAA and tax measures where hearings are done simultaneously w/ HOR. @News5AKSYON @onenewsph

— marie ann los banos (@maeannelosbanos) February 17, 2020

Poe added that they are in the process of securing a venue for the hearing.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon filed Senate Resolution 11 where he noted that there are only 12 session days left before the next adjournment of Congress on March 14 and the Congress needs time to review the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise.

In a separate statement, he said: "On March 30, 2020, more than 11,000 families will go home jobless and millions of viewers will be affected if we do not act on this resolution immediately, I therefore urge for the immediate passage of this resolution.”

Poe, however, explained that Drilon’s resolution is just the counterpart of the bill pending at the House. She also stressed that the proposal to extend the legislative franchise of ABS-CBN should emanate from the House of Representatives.

A little more than a month before ABS-CBN’s franchise expires, the House has yet to set a hearing on the 12 bills seeking the broadcast company’s franchise renewal.

Probe into supposed violations of ABS-CBN

Poe last week filed a resolution calling for an inquiry into supposed violations of ABS-CBN. She cited Solicitor General Jose Calida’s quo warranto petition against the network giant and “alleged violations in its legislative franchise.”

Poe said that the issues raised by Calida can be discussed in the Senate hearing on franchise renewal. 

“We can scrutinize the qualification of those who are applying for a franchise,” she said in Filipino, adding that there are many who wish to be enlightened on allegations against ABS-CBN.

Calida, in his plea, said ABS-CBN operates its KBO Channel without permit from the National Telecommunications Commission.

He also said that the company issued Philippine Deposit Receipts—tools that allows foreign investors a passive economic interest in a Philippine company—that violates foreign ownership restriction on mass media.

The solicitor general also said Convergence, ABS-CBN’s subsidiary, “resorted to an ingenious corporate layering scheme in order to transfer its franchise without the necessary Congressional approval.”

She also assured that the Senate may conduct hearings even if a case calling for the revocation of the ABS-CBN’s franchise is pending before the high court.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson raised that possible resource persons on Senate hearings may be cited in contempt by the Supreme Court if they discuss issues cited in Calida’s quo warranto petition.

But Poe stressed that there are jurisprudence saying that “the legislative branch is not precluded from conducting a hearing even if there are judicial proceedings.” — Kristine Joy Patag with reports from News5/Meanne Los Baños

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