House leader says plenary can reverse ABS-CBN franchise denial
MANILA, Philippines — A leader of the House of Representatives said Wednesday that the plenary can reverse the denial of a franchise to ABS-CBN, especially under the leadership of Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.
“I believe it can be pulled out by the plenary now and reconsidered in the new leadership we have now,” House Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza told ANC’s “Headstart.” “Plenary overrules the committee and the plenary prevails.”
Atienza said that the vote of the House legislative franchises panel in July 2020 denying the media giant a fresh 25-year franchise must be brought to plenary, where all House members may vote to ratify or reject the committee’s decision to kill the franchise of the network and the employment of its 11,000 workers, which came despite government agencies clearing ABS-CBN of any wrongdoing.
Aside from loss of jobs, the House franchises committee’s rejection of ABS-CBN’s application for a new franchise and the network’s shutdown also resulted in an information gap in far-flung areas which had only been reached by the media giant’s regional bureaus which also had to shutter.
All eyes on Velasco
The House leader’s expectations for ABS-CBN to get a franchise renewal this year largely hinges on his trust in the leadership of Velasco, whom he expects to allow lawmakers to debate and vote freely.
“I am just relying on the character of the new speaker. He’s not the type who would double cross and double talk and deal with everybody,” Atienza said.
Velasco, however, has been silent on the matter and has not given any indications whether he is keen on bringing the ABS-CBN franchise to plenary for further debates and a final vote.
Another House leader, Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta, who was on the forefront of the attack against ABS-CBN when the franchises panel took up its application, argued that the network first needs to go through major reforms before it is given a new franchise to operate.
The House is also still dominated by allies of President Rodrigo Duterte, who has vowed to see the end of ABS-CBN, which earned his ire for not airing his campaign advertisement and for supposedly taking sides during the 2016 presidential race.
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III has filed a bill in the upper chamber to grant ABS-CBN a new franchise, but the Senate would still have to wait for the House to pass a bill granting the network a fresh franchise.
Sotto, too, is hoping that the election of Velasco and a new set of House leaders gives the franchise a better chance of being renewed.
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