ABS-CBN franchise extension for one year sought in House

Cagayan De Oro City Representative Rufus Rodriguez has filed another resolution seeking to extend the franchise of ABS-CBN, but for only a year after its expiration on May 4.

In House Joint Resolution 29, Rodriguez wants the two houses of Congress to extend the validity of ABS-CBN existing franchise until May 4, 2021.

READ: Cagayan De Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez files joint resolution extending the franchise of ABS-CBN for one year, until May 4, 2021. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/PJURIe2F9A

— Erwin Colcol (@erwincolcol) February 26, 2020

He pointed out that there are only six session days left before Congress adjourns for the Lenten break, yet the House has not tackled the 11 bills seeking for the renewal of the ABS-CBN Corporation's franchise.

"Both the House of Representatives and the Senate need additional time to review, assess and determine whether or not ABS-CBN shall be granted the renewal of its franchise," Rodriguez said in his measure.

"The extension of the current franchise of ABS-CBN for one year will give members of Congress enough time to thoroughly study and debate on the bills filed in the House of Representatives," he added.

Rodriguez's bill is the second measure filed in the House of Representatives to extend the franchise of ABS-CBN, the first being authored by Cebu City Representative Raul Del Mar.

Del Mar's version, however, urges the extension of the TV network's franchise until the end of the 18th Congress on June 30, 2022.

On Wednesday, House legislative franchises panel chair Franz Alvarez and Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano sent a letter to the National Telecommunications Commission formally requesting the grant ABS-CBN a provisional authority to operate effective May 4 until the House of Representatives has made a decision on its franchise renewal application.

Alvarez announced on Monday that the panel is now open to accepting position papers for or against the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise, signalling the start of the proceedings of the chamber on the matter.

He said that once all positions papers have been taken into consideration, the panel can formally start deliberating on the ABS-CBN franchise renewal bills. This, however, could take place either in May or in August, after President Rodrigo Duterte's State of the Nation Address. —NB, GMA News