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Senate adopts ‘simple’ resolution seeking provisional authority for ABS-CBN, subsidiaries


The Senate on Wednesday adopted a simple resolution, expressing the "sense of the Senate" that ABS-CBN Corporation and its subsidiaries should continue operations pending the deliberation of their franchise renewal.

The proposed Concurrent Resolution No. 6—filed by Senator Franklin Drilon last Wednesday—was adopted, taking into consideration proposed Concurrent Resolution Nos.  7 and 8, as well as P.S. Resolution 344 filed by other members of the Senate this week.

There were no objections during the voting at the plenary session.

The adopted resolution seeks to allow the ABS-CBN and its subsidiaries to continue operations using a provisional authority issued by the National Telecommunications Commission.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he casted a "critical" yes vote as he pointed out that the NTC has never asked the Congress to issue resolutions when it gave provisional authorities to hundreds of other franchisees in previous years.

"What's bugging the NTC? Are they afraid to displease the President? They should not. The President, Mayor Duterte was a wonderful man... You should not be afraid to do your job. Why is NTC asking for this when they can well do it?" Sotto said.

Drilon thinks the NTC was asking for it on the basis of what Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said during a Senate hearing that such a resolution "would provide some degree of legal stability."

"I am making a speculation Mr. President that this is the reason why the NTC suddenly wanted this resolution which they did not request for in the past," he said.

Essentially, all the four resolutions that were merged in the Senate have been filed to buy more time for the Congress to thoroughly deliberate whether or not to renew ABS-CBN's franchise without jeopardizing the livelihood of more than 11,000 employees of the broadcast giant.

Concurrent Resolution No. 7 was filed on Monday by Senators Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Sherwin Gatchalian, Lito Lapid, Joel Villanueva, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Grace Poe, Ralph Recto, and Manny Pacquiao seeking provisional authority for ABS-CBN. The same group of lawmakers filed Concurrent Resolution No. 8 on Wednesday, adding that SKY Cable Corporation—the pay television and broadband arm of ABS-CBN—should also be allowed to its continue operations beyond May 4, 2020.

Meanwhile, P.S. Resolution No. 344, expressing the sense of the Senate for the authorization of the NTC to issue provisional authorities to ABS-CBN and its subsidiaries/affiliates ABS-CBN Convergence, Inc., Sky Cable Corporation, and AMCARA Broadcasting Network, Inc. was filed on Wednesday.

It was introduced by Senators Pia Cayetano, Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go, Imee Marcos, Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., Francis "Tol" Tolentino, and Cynthia Villar.

Zubiri, Pacquiao, Angara, Villanueva, Gatchalian, and Binay were also signatories in the said resolution.

Senator Bong Revilla, on the other hand, filed a bill seeking to extend the broadcast company's operations until the end of the year pending the final decision of the Congress.

The House of Representatives' Committee on Legislative Franchises will hold its first hearing on the ABS-CBN franchise renewal bills on March 10, according to House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.

The 18th Congress will go on break starting March 13 and will only resume session on May 4, the day when ABS-CBN's franchise would expire.

The Office of the Solicitor General filed a quo warranto petition at the Supreme Court against ABS-CBN in February, accusing it of "highly abusive practices." The company refuted the allegations and maintained that it did not violate any law.—LDF, GMA News
 

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