Congress did its job well by denying ABS-CBN a franchise –Calida

In a Saturday statement, Solicitor General Jose Calida congratulated the House of Representatives and its Committee on Legislative Franchises for having “done its job well” by denying the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise.

“Indeed, Congress, through the joint committees, not only exercised its constitutional mandate, but also fulfilled Speaker Alan Peter S. Cayetano’s promise to the Filipino people that ‘the hearings [would] be fair, impartial, comprehensive and thorough,’” said Calida.

“We salute Speaker Cayetano, Deputy Speaker Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’ Remulla, Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta, Committee on Legislative Franchises Chair Rep. Franz Alvarez, Rep. Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado, Rep. Mike Defensor, Rep. Elpidio Barzaga, and all those who voted in favour of the Committee Resolution for their leadership and integrity,” he added.

Calida also pointed out that in denying the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise, the Committee on Legislative Franchises affirmed the allegations made by the Office of the Solicitor General in its quo warranto petition with the Supreme Court.

Furthermore, Calida claimed that the denial of the franchise could not be characterized as a restraint on freedom of expression or of the press because the “primordial effect of such denial is the upholding of the constitutional provision and laws governing media companies like ABS-CBN.”

Thus, by denying the franchise Congress had done its duty under the Constitution and the rule of law had been upheld and justice served.

However, the ABS-CBN franchise denial was universally condemned by journalists across the country, with defense, Palace, justice, and economic reporters expressing their indignation and alarm of the House's actions.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said that the 18th Congress had, by denying the franchise, "declared itself an enemy of democracy," while the AlterMidya network added that the denial was a warning that journalists “should think twice before it reports truthfully, or criticizes and dares hold government to account."

Meanwhile, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate, in his summation of the issues and findings in the hearings of the House Committees on Legislative Franchises and on Good Government and Public Accountability on the ABS-CBN franchise, pointed out that the hearings found no evidence to show that the network violated constitutional provisions and other related laws.

Several senators also warned that the House panel's decision to deny ABS-CBN's franchise application created a dangerous precedent for the process of granting such legislative permits, with Senator Grace Poe lamenting that the "pandemic of intolerance has claimed another victim."

For her part, Vice President Leni Robredo urged the electorate to hold the 70 lawmakers who denied the franchise renewal accountable for their actions.

“Idinidiin ng denial ng prangkisa ng ABS-CBN ang aral: Our choice of leaders matters. Mahalagang pumili ng mga pinunong tunay na sumasalamin sa ating mga adhikain at prinsipyo,” Robredo said in a statement.

“Kaya’t tandaan natin ang nga pangalan ng kongresista at opisyal na tumaliwas sa ating mga paniniwala upang mapanagot sila gamit ang mga prosesong pangdemokrasya; tandaan din natin ang mga kahanay natin, upang maisulong at bigyang-lakas pa ang mga tulad nila.” — DVM, GMA News