Senate may pass ABS-CBN franchise bill, 2 weeks after House transmittal

The Senate may approve ABS-CBN Corporation's franchise renewal in a span of two weeks once the House of Representatives transmits the bill, Senator Sonny Angara said Wednesday.

"It depends on whether the committee has already passed it at the committee level tapos hinihintay na lang 'yung House passage para isalang sa floor," Angara pointed out in a virtual interview.

"One to two weeks, I think, is the quickest we can pass it probably," he added, noting that they need, at least, three days between the second and third readings if the bill is not certified as urgent by the President.

Asked how long it would likely take the lower chamber to pass the franchise bill on third reading and transmit it to the Senate, Angara said it depends on the congressmen.

"'Yung House maraming klaseng tren 'yan. Mayroong PNR train, 'yung mabagal. Mayroong bullet train. Depende 'yan sa gugustuhin nila," he said.

Also, the lawmaker said that if President Duterte would certify the bills seeking the renewal of ABS-CBN's franchise as urgent, the process will certainly be faster.

"In one week kaya na nila 'yan. In three session days pasado na 'yan," Angara said.

Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said ABS-CBN Corporation does not deserve to be shut down.

"The NTC (National Telecommunications Commision) should not have used its powers as some sort of a remote control device, which by a mere push of a button shuts off a TV," Recto said in a statement.

He added that ABS may have committed "a few oversights" in its operations but none were so grievous to justify a "corporate version of the death penalty."

Recto further said that the NTC should have heeded the advice of the Department of Justice, the House of Representatives, and the Senate to allow the continued operations of the ABS-CBN through a provisional authority.

At least 11 bills seeking ABS-CBN's franchise renewal for another 25 years have been filed before the House Committee on Legislative Franchises since August 2019. The panel conducted its first hearing on the matter last March 10. 

On Tuesday, NTC ordered ABS-CBN's closure after its 25-year franchise expired on May 4.

The media giant went off air in compliance with the cease and desist order. —Dona Magsino/LBG/RSJ, GMA News