MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives Committee of the Whole approved on Wednesday a bill granting ABS-CBN a provisional franchise until October 2020.
The bill was filed by House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, citing the need to focus on coronavirus pandemic and to give enough time to review in Congress hearing the network's request for another 25-year franchise.
"Through this measure, we hope to strike a balance between the immediate needs of the people amid this crisis and the duty of Congress to ensure accountability to our present laws," Cayetano said.
House Bill No. 6732 will give green light to ABS-CBN to operate until October 31, 2020.
WATCH: ABS-CBN Summer Station ID 2020 is here
“Providing ABS-CBN with a provisional franchise valid until 31 October 2020 will give both the House of Representatives and the Senate to hear the issues being raised for and against the renewal, and assess, with complete impartiality and fairness, whether or not the network shall be granted a franchise for another twenty-five (25) years,” the bill added.
The bill was co-sponsored by Representatives Neptali Gonzalez, Raneo Abu, Roberto Puno, Dan Fernandez, LRay Villafuerte Jr., Ferdinand Romualdez, and Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado.
Before HB No. 6732, 11 bills already sought for the renewal of ABS-CBN franchise, but those remain pending before the House committee on legislative franchises. Cayetano previously assured the network that it would not shut down its operations even if its franchises lapses.
In the Senate hearing last February, the Kapamilya network already answered all alleged violations on franchise renewal, including questions on labor and tax.
On May 5, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) ordered ABS-CBN to halt broadcasting as their franchise expired.
Solicitor General Jose Calida was accused of pressuring NTC to order the shutdown of ABS-CBN.
While the network went off air, its flagship news program 'TV Patrol' returned, not on Channel 2, but online.
— The Summit Express
The bill was filed by House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, citing the need to focus on coronavirus pandemic and to give enough time to review in Congress hearing the network's request for another 25-year franchise.
"Through this measure, we hope to strike a balance between the immediate needs of the people amid this crisis and the duty of Congress to ensure accountability to our present laws," Cayetano said.
House Bill No. 6732 will give green light to ABS-CBN to operate until October 31, 2020.
WATCH: ABS-CBN Summer Station ID 2020 is here
“Providing ABS-CBN with a provisional franchise valid until 31 October 2020 will give both the House of Representatives and the Senate to hear the issues being raised for and against the renewal, and assess, with complete impartiality and fairness, whether or not the network shall be granted a franchise for another twenty-five (25) years,” the bill added.
The bill was co-sponsored by Representatives Neptali Gonzalez, Raneo Abu, Roberto Puno, Dan Fernandez, LRay Villafuerte Jr., Ferdinand Romualdez, and Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado.
Before HB No. 6732, 11 bills already sought for the renewal of ABS-CBN franchise, but those remain pending before the House committee on legislative franchises. Cayetano previously assured the network that it would not shut down its operations even if its franchises lapses.
In the Senate hearing last February, the Kapamilya network already answered all alleged violations on franchise renewal, including questions on labor and tax.
On May 5, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) ordered ABS-CBN to halt broadcasting as their franchise expired.
Solicitor General Jose Calida was accused of pressuring NTC to order the shutdown of ABS-CBN.
While the network went off air, its flagship news program 'TV Patrol' returned, not on Channel 2, but online.
— The Summit Express
