Hearing to give chance to ABS-CBN to answer allegations, says House leader

Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte on Monday reiterated that a comprehensive and fair hearing is needed in order to shed light to the allegations being thrown at ABS-CBN related to the renewal of its franchise.

During the plenary session of the House earlier in the day, Villafuerte said there are numerous issues involving ABS-CBN that the company needs to answer, such as alleged violations of laws on media ownership, election laws, labor laws and tax laws.

The network, however, said it has explained its side on a number of issues during the February hearing at the Senate.

The House was deliberating on House Bill 6732, granting a provisional franchise to ABS-CBN until October 31, 2020, which was brought back to the plenary after being approved on second reading last week to accommodate additional interpellation and amendments from lawmakers.

"Kailangan lahat ng mga yan, pakinggan sa isang malawakang pagdinig o hearing para talagang marinig. Let ABS-CBN also defend itself to counter whatever allegations that will come out during the hearings, at hindi talaga yan mareresolba sa isa, dalawang araw," Villafuerte said.

Allegations

SAGIP party-list Representative Rodante Marcoleta, during the session, asked about the alleged violations and issues involving ABS-CBN.

For one, he wanted to know the status of the case appealed by ABS-CBN in the Supreme Court involving 103 of the network's workers referred to as talents that were supposedly terminated without just cause.

He also asked about the alleged tax cases against ABS-CBN before the Court of Tax Appeals, in which the company supposedly entered compromise agreements with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

"We need to know why ABS-CBN needed to be first sued by the BIR before it settles its fiscal obligations in apparent violation of Section 8 of its old franchise which it now seeks to renew," Marcoleta said.

The lawmaker also raised the issue on the citizenship of ABS-CBN chairman emeritus Gabby Lopez III, whom Marcoleta said was an "American citizen at the time he took over the reigns of the media giant."

Villafuerte agreed that the issues that Marcoleta pointed out need to be threshed out in their hearings.

He pointed out that the House could not simply rush their deliberations on the issue just because many individuals have been calling them to.

"Kapag paspasan natin yan, hindi natin ginagampanan ang ating constitutional duty to ensure fairness and objectivity," Villafuerte said.

"At kapag ipasa natin ito nang mabilis na panahon, yung sinasabing equal protection, paano naman yung ibang nag-aapply ng prangkisa na ordinaryong radio station na umaabot ng tatlong taon, limang taon, samantalang [ito], gusto nating pagbigyan dahil allegedly media giant," he added.

Allegations answered

In response, ABS-CBN, in a statement, said it was "stunned" by the accusations raised in the House during its plenary session on Monday.

"The accusations have been asked and answered under oath by various government agencies as well as by ABS-CBN executives at the Senate hearing last February 24," the company said in a statement.

According to ABS-CBN, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the National Telecommunications Commission and the BIR have all testified during the Senate hearing that the company "had no violations as it relates to their specific agency."

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III likewise said in an interview that ABS-CBN was fully compliant of labor standards, while accusations regarding Lopez's citizenship have likewise been answered during the Senate hearing, it added.

"While ABS-CBN acknowledged that there remain pending cases including those in court, ABS-CBN will abide by the decisions of the relevant authorities as decisions on these cases are made," the company said.

"The accusations [in the House] were made without any evidence submitted and authenticated, and without the ability for ABS-CBN to reply. We assure our public and our employees that ABS-CBN will reply to these accusations in the proper forum," it added.

ABS-CBN went off air on May 5 after the NTC issued it a cease and desist order to stop its broadcast operations.

Its franchise expired on May 4. —LDF, GMA News