Supreme Court to resume deliberations on ABS-CBN petition in August

The Supreme Court (SC) will resume deliberations on ABS-CBN's petition challenging a government order to cease its broadcast operations in August, an official said Tuesday.

Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta confirmed that the petition would be called again for deliberations on August 4, court spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka told reporters.

ABS-CBN had questioned the cease and desist order from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) that forced several of its radio and television stations to go off the air after its franchise expired last May 4.

The NTC issued the order despite saying last March that it will heed the advice of the Department of Justice, which said there is sufficient basis to allow broadcast companies to continue operating pending congressional action on their franchise application.

The SC has not ruled on ABS-CBN's request for a temporary restraining order against the NTC directive more than two months after the company filed the petition.

ABS-CBN had argued that Congress, which has the power to grant franchises, also has the authority to determine the company's rights and obligations until it has decided whether or not to renew the network's franchise.

The House franchise committee, however, denied ABS-CBN's franchise application last week in a majority vote that critics said dealt a blow to press freedom in the Philippines.

A lawyer has drafted a proposal to grant the company a franchise through a people's initiative, saying the Filipino people can directly pass such a law pursuant to Republic Act No. 6735 or the Initiative and Referendum Act. -NB, GMA News