House panel welcomes Senate probe on ABS-CBN franchise compliance

Isabela Representative Tonypet Albano on Friday welcomed the proposed Senate probe on ABS-CBN’s compliance with its existing franchise, saying its output will be considered once the panel starts its deliberations on the pending ABS-CBN franchise renewal bills.

Albano, vice chairperson of the House Committee on Legislative Franchises, was referring to Senator Grace Poe’s Senate Resolution 322 seeking probe on ABS-CBN’s compliance with its existing franchise.

“Senator Grace Poe has the right to investigate in aid of legislation the supposed abuses of ABS-CBN. It does not in any way conflict with our committee power to hear the same violations in our franchise committee,”  Albano told GMA News Online.

“The committee leaders and members have to be impartial and fair to ABS-CBN, and [so] we will treat the merits of Senator Poe’s investigation as additional information when she finishes her probe in aid of legislation during our public committee hearings where [bills seeking renewal of] ABS-CBN franchise is taken up,” he added.

Ako-Bicol party-list Representative Alfredo Garbin backed Albano, saying that Poe’s proposal is anchored on the Senate’s constitutional mandate of oversight and is giving ABS-CBN a fair shake.

“It is a welcome development since ABS-CBN will be given a chance to show that they possess [enough] qualification for their franchise renewal application and compliance of the provision of their existing franchise,” Garbin, a member of the House panel, said.

“In the same way, the government, Solicitor General and other regulatory agency can also ventilate in the Senate hearing the alleged violations of ABS-CBN franchise, including the issues raised in the quo warranto proceedings since legislative investigations are not precluded by sub judice rule,” he added.

Solicitor General Jose Calida earlier this week filed a quo warranto petition before the Supreme Court seeking to revoke ABS-CBN's current franchise due to alleged violations.

ABS-CBN has maintained that it has not violated any law.

On the other hand, there are 11 pending bills seeking ABS-CBN franchise renewal before the House Legislative Franchises panel, but these are yet to be acted upon by the committee even if these bills have been filed way back in August 2019.

Under the law, franchise bills should emanate from the House. Given the situation, the Senate cannot act on the pending ABS-CBN franchise bills filed in the Senate unless their House counterparts have already approved the same.

Garbin believes that Poe’s inquiry should serve as an impetus for the House panel to start Committee deliberations on pending ABS-CBN franchise bills renewals.

“The issue of ABS-CBN franchise is of transcendental  Importance to our nation and the start of the Senate investigation would prompt the House Legislative franchise [panel] to start hearing the latter application for renewal of franchise. After all, its grant, amendment, renewal or revocation of franchise emanates from the House,” Garbin, a lawyer, said.

The Senate is expected to hold a caucus on Monday to discuss Poe's resolution.

President Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly threatened to close down ABS-CBN due to supposed abuses, including its alleged failure to air his paid political advertisement during the campaign period for the 2016 presidential election. —KBK, GMA News