SC decision on TRO may allow ABS-CBN to go on-air soon sans provisional franchise —Drilon

Without a provisional franchise from Congress, ABS-CBN may only return on-air soon if the Supreme Court decides to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the decision of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to shut down the media company, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said Wednesday.

"Ang puwedeng remedyo na lang ay 'yung kaso sa Korte Suprema. 'Yung hinihinging TRO ng ABS-CBN," Drilon said in a television interview, pointing out that there are only a few session days left before Congress goes on recess.

ABS-CBN recently asked the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the implementation of the cease and desist order issued by the NTC after its 25-year franchise expired on May 4.

On Tuesday, the SC ordered the NTC and Congress to comment on ABS-CBN's petition.

Drilon said the livelihood of more than 11,000 workers of ABS-CBN may be imperiled as the sudden changes on the deliberation of franchise bills in the House may cause the network to remain off-air for months.

"The reality is, when we adjourn on June 3 and come back on July 27, ABS-CBN cannot go back on the air, because the franchise has not been renewed by Congress," he said.

"If the House or Representatives can pass the franchise of ABS-CBN when we go back in July, there is no problem. We can pass it in the Senate mid-August or end-August at the most. It is not a problem with us. It is a problem that starts with the House of Representatives," he added.

The senator said that as far as the legislative franchise is concerned, it is up to the lower house.

"We cannot pass the franchise of ABS-CBN unless the HOR passes its version first. That is in the Constitution. This is a private bill and, therefore, it must originate from the House of Representatives," Drilon said.

The House of Representatives on Tuesday said it will tackle a 25-year franchise for ABS-CBN instead of the initially proposed provisional franchise valid until October 31, 2020.

The lower chamber's leadership has decided to "forego" the provisional measure and tasked the House Committee on Legislative Franchise to hear the bills granting a long-term franchise for ABS-CBN.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who leads the Senate Committee on Public Services hearing, said that with this development, the "prospects of getting the provisional franchise approved before the sine die adjournment is getting tighter."

ABS-CBN Corporation, which has been off-air in the past two weeks, may be forced to lay off some of its workers in August if it will not be able to resume operations soon, according to the company's president and CEO Carlo Katigbak.

It shut down its operations on May 5 after the National Telecommunications Commission 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. —KG, GMA News