Cayetano says he has right to question ABS-CBN about ‘bias’ against him, wife

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday asserted his right to question ABS-CBN on its alleged "bias" in reporting the news, including against him and his wife, Taguig Representative Lani Cayetano.

Cayetano made the remark after he was asked why the House of Representatives did not take a lot of time in discussing and eventually approving the bills seeking the franchise renewal of other broadcast networks.

"How many [instances in your] shows did you have on the case against me and Lani? Four. You only invited us once. Three times, kalaban namin. Wala kayong bias roon?" Cayetano said of ABS-CBN’s coverage.

"Mag-asawang Suansing wala kayong hearing against them. Sa mag-asawang Albano, you did not have a hearing. Can you say to me that there was no bias there?" he added.

Cayetano did not go into the specifics of the case but there was disqualification case filed against him by a Leonedes Buac, Jr.

Buac alleged that then-Taguig City congressional candidate Cayetano failed to meet the residency requirement since he and his wife—who was Taguig mayor at the time—registered different addresses in their certificates of candidacy for the 2019 polls. In his complaint, Buac said the Cayetano couple violated the Family Code which requires a married couple to live in one legal residence.

The Commission on Elections ultimately junked Buac’s disqualification case against the eventual Speaker due to lack of merit.

“You don’t think I should ask you [ABS-CBN] about that during the hearing? Because the media can make or break a political career.  Media should be neutral. That is why we will have a hearing, and you have April 15 to file your objection [on allegations of biases],” Cayetano said.

Cayetano was referring to the deadline that the House Committee on Legislative Franchises set for the submission of position papers of various sectors, including ABS-CBN, whether the are in favor or in opposition to the bills seeking franchise renewal for ABS-CBN.

Cayetano insisted that he and the House of Representatives are not trying to attack ABS-CBN, even amid the fact that the bills seeking ABS-CBN franchise renewal were discussed by the House Legislative Franchises panel on Tuesday, March 10, even though these measures were filed way back in August 2019.

“If it is an attack on ABS-CBN, then the Committee would have just denied these [pending bills] at sarado na ang ABS-CBN. We will not go through this effort and news cycle para lang isara ang ABS-CBN. What we are after is fair and objective hearing,” Cayetano said.

“I do not see any reason for ABS-CBN to stop broadcasting when we go on break or when its franchise expires until may final disposition ang Congress,” he added.

In closing, Cayetano said that President Rodrigo Duterte’s threat to close down ABS-CBN does not influence the House in any way in terms of deliberating the merits or demerits of bills seeking ABS-CBN franchise renewal.

“The President said that it is up to you Congress, and he has forgiven ABS-CBN. It does not have a bearing on our decision. Even if the President and all of his supporters would say ibigay niyo na [ang franchise], I will still demand a fair hearing because that is how we want Congress to be remembered,” Cayetano said. — BM, GMA News