Senate panel holds hearing on ABS-CBN’s franchise

The Senate committee on public services once again opened a hearing Tuesday on ABS-CBN Corporation’s franchise, two weeks after the shutdown of the media giant.

Senate Bill Nos. 981 and 1521—seeking to grant ABS-CBN a 25-year franchise and a provisional franchise valid until June 30, 2022, respectively—will be tackled.

Senate Bill Nos. 1374 and 1403 extending the term of ABS-CBN's franchise until December 31, 2020 and renewing the media company's franchise for another 25 years, respectively, will also be discussed.

NOW HAPPENING: Senate committee on public services once again opened a hearing on ABS-CBN Corporation’s franchise, two weeks after the shutdown of the media giant. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/pzAxZ4VxXK

— Dona Magsino (@donamagsino) May 19, 2020

To participate in the inquiry are representatives of ABS-CBN, Department of Information and Communications Technology, National Telecommunications Commission, and Office of the Solicitor General.

Also invited were former senator Juan Ponce Enrile, retired Chief Justice Reynato Puno, retired Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna, and Fr. Ranhilio Aquino.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, vice chairman of the panel, leads the hearing after Senator Grace Poe recused herself from handling the issue as her actress mom Susan Roces stars at a program of the media network.

Before ABS-CBN’s 25-year franchise expired, the chamber also held a hearing on its application for renewal last February 24.

Gatchalian said the committee will not release a report until the House of Representatives' version of ABS-CBN’s franchise bill reaches the Senate. This is in line with the rule that all franchise bills shall emanate from the lower chamber.

On Monday, the House returned to the plenary the measure granting ABS-CBN a provisional franchise until October 31, 2020 to accommodate additional interpellations and amendments from lawmakers.

House Bill 6732 previously hurdled the first and second reading on the same day last week and was initially projected to pass the third reading on May 18.

Despite this change, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said the timeline of the upper chamber in tackling ABSCBN’s franchise still stands.

“Our timeline remains the same. Committee hearing this week, sponsorship and second reading approval next week, then third reading the week after,” Zubiri said in a message to reporters.

The session in Congress will go on sine die adjournment on June 3. The lawmakers will convene again almost two months later during the State of the Nation Adress scheduled on July 27.

ABS-CBN went off-air on May 5 after the NTC issued a cease and desist order instead of a provisional authority to operate which the latter initially committed to grant while the franchise renewal of the media company is still pending in Congress.

The network’s franchise expired on May 4 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.—AOL, GMA News