Gov't didn't return ABS-CBN in 1986, Lopez family took it back --network exec

The government did not return ABS-CBN to the Lopezes after the EDSA Revolution in 1986, but instead the family took it back to their possession.

ABS-CBN vice chairman Augusto Almeda-Lopez made the remark on Wednesday during the continuation of the House joint panel hearing on the broadcast company's franchise issue.

The panel was discussing the issue of whether or not the acquisition of ABS-CBN by the Lopez family after the EDSA Revolution in 1986 was pursuant to the Constitution.

Almeda-Lopez said that although the Marcos administration took ABS-CBN from the Lopez family, the network was not returned to them after the late strongman was toppled.

"Noong nagkaroon ng EDSA Revolution, hindi naman sa pagbubuhat ng sariling bangko, kinuha sa amin ng Marcos ang ABS-CBN, sasabihin ko sa inyo na hindi sinauli sa amin, kinuha namin, binalik namin sa sarili namin," he said.

Almeda-Lopez narrated what happened during the time when government forces attacked and tried to take over ABS-CBN.

"Noong nagkakaroon ng putukan, nag-shut out yung operations ng television. Nagtago ang lahat-lahat ng mga tao. Kaya madilim na madilim 'yan. Napilitan kaming lumusob. Nagsisisigaw kami doon, 'Lumabas kayo mga kasama namin. Paandarin natin itong istasyon.' Sa madaling salita, lumabas sila," he said.

"Within one hour napaandar namin ang telebisyon. Kaya sinasabi ko hindi sinauli sa amin ng Marcos ang istasyon, nakuha namin sa aming sariling sikap," he added.

Almeda-Lopez admitted that it did not think about the "legal technicalities" of the return of ABS-CBN to the Lopezes, considering how quickly they were able to go back on air.

However, it was his colleague, Atty. Serafin Quiason, who advised him to clear up these legal technicalities.

"Kaya gumawa siya ng kasulatan na sinasabi niya, ang Lopez family, nakuha ulit ang ABS-CBN. Pero pumapayag kaming gamitin ng forces ni [former President] Cory Aquino at ni [former Defense Secretary Juan] Ponce Enrile during the crisis period," he said.

"Hindi sinauli sa amin ng Cory government ang istasyon, kami ang nagpahiram sa Cory government," he added.

In the previous hearing, Atty. Arecio Rendor, counsel for ABS-CBN, maintained that the Lopez family did not lose ownership of ABS-CBN and its broadcast facilities even as the network was shut down when the Marcos martial law was declared.

What was taken from ABS-CBN, Rendor said, was the "mere possession" of all its real estate and broadcast equipment and rights to use its facilities following the declaration of martial law.

"Hindi nawalay ang pagmamay-ari ng Lopez family sa ABS-CBN at mga broadcast facilities and equipment even from the time that martial law was declared until today," he said.

"Kahit ang shares of stocks noong nagsimula ang ABS-CBN when it was incorporated ay hindi nawalay sa mga stockholders nito," he added.

Apart from the constitutionality of the return of the television network to Lopezes in 1986, other constitutional issues that the House joint panel was tackling related to the ABS-CBN franchise are the citizenship of ABS-CBN chairman emeritus Gabby Lopez III and the network's issuance of Philippine Depositary Receipts to foreigners.—AOL, GMA News