Amid talks of ejection, Sotto prompts ABS-CBN to focus on reconstitution of its land title

The ABS-CBN Corporation should prioritize the reconstitution of its land title for its property in Mother Ignacia Street, Quezon City, according to Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Monday.

This was after he was asked in a CNN Philippines interview about discussions of some House of Representatives' members on possible seizure of the media giant's headquarters over alleged ownership issues.

"ABS-CBN, the corporation, should concentrate on the reconstitution of their land title," Sotto said.

He recalled that during his tenure as Quezon City vice mayor sometime in 1989 or 1990, there had been a fire that burned down the entire floor of the Registry of Deeds in the city hall.

He said property owners had then been asked to reconstitute their land titles.

"Those are what, 30 years ago? They should have reconstituted para nawala iyang isang problema," Sotto said.

Last Friday, House Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta proposed turning away ABS-CBN from the complex where it stands as he reiterated the land title issue he has raised during the previous House deliberations on the network's franchise application.

He reportedly claimed that the land title presented by ABS-CBN was "made in Recto."

On the other hand, the ABS-CBN representative maintained during the previous hearing that the corporation already presented an original copy of its land title to the House. Yet, Marcoleta insisted that it was not the one he was looking for.

The House Committee on Legislative Franchises recently junked the media giant's franchise application, citing that its former chairman Eugenio Lopez III was both a Filipino and American citizen, and that its issuance of Philippine Depositary Receipts supposedly favored foreigners.

The company's alleged inappropriate program content, meddling in politics, tax avoidance schemes, and less than exemplary labor practices were also among the reasons laid out in the committee resolution.

Sotto said he was not very familiar with the other ABS-CBN issues discussed in the Lower House because the franchise bills for the media firm had not reached the Senate.

"I really tried to avoid dipping my finger into the issue or the controversy because once it reaches us, it will be part of our jurisdiction kaya mas mabuting di kami nagsasalita kung tutuusin," he said.

Despite expressing doubts on the possibility of a people's initiative to grant ABS-CBN a franchise to operate, he said he would sign it if it pushes through.

ABS-CBN went off air since May 5 after the National Telecommunications Commission issued a cease and desist order. The media company's 25-year franchise expired on May 4, pending the decision of Congress on its application for renewal then.

Following the decision of the House panel to deny the franchise application, ABS-CBN announced that it will start laying off its workers starting August 31.—AOL, GMA News