Bill seeking non-expiration of franchises with pending renewal applications filed in Senate

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Wednesday filed a bill seeking the non-expiration of legislative franchises with pending applications for renewal.

Senate Bill No. 1530 proposes to amend Section 18, Book VII, Chapter 3 of the Revised Administrative Code, which provides for the non-expiration of a license until a final determination by the granting agency is made, given that an application for renewal has been already been filed in a timely manner.

Drilon said franchises granted by Congress must also be covered by this provision.

The proposed amendment to the law states that there is only a "final determination" when an applicant has already been given a written notice of approval or denial of the franchise renewal.

Inaction on a pending application cannot be considered a denial, it added.

"The bill does not diminish the Congress’ power to grant franchises as it merely addresses the situation in the interim period," Drilon said.

"It places in the statute what has been a common practice in the past when it comes to renewal of an expiring franchise, which is to allow it to operate, provided that an application for renewal has been filed within the same Congress," he added.

He further said that this measure would ensure that the applicants do not bear the brunt of the authorities' indecision or inaction on their application for renewal.

Drilon filed the bill more than a week after ABS-CBN Corporation went off-air following an order from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

The NTC, despite its earlier commitment to grant a provisional authority to ABS-CBN, issued a cease and desist order against the media network after its 25-year franchise expired on May 4 pending the final decision of Congress on its renewal.

Earlier this week, 13 senators filed a bill seeking to grant ABS-CBN Corporation a provisional franchise effective until the end of June 2022.

Senator Lito Lapid, meanwhile, filed a bill that would allow radio stations in the Philippines to continue operations even with expired franchises if their renewal applications are still pending in Congress. --KBK, GMA News