Senate adopts reso urging NTC to 'reconsider' closure order vs. ABS-CBN

The Senate on Monday adopted a resolution urging the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to reconsider the cease and desist order it issued against ABS-CBN Corporation last week.

Senate Resolution No. 395 underscored that "there is precedent for entities whose franchises have expired to be allowed to continue to operate, pending the grant of franchise renewal by Congress."

"The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines Broadcast franchise expired on August 4, 2017 and was only renewed on April 22, 2019... Globe Innove's franchise expired on April 10, 2017 and was only renewed on December 14, 2018. PT&T's franchise expired in November 2015 and was only renewed on July 21, 2016," it read.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, Senators Risa Hontiveros, Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Sherwin Gatchalian, Leila De Lima, Lito Lapid, Manny Pacquiao, Francis Pangilinan, and Joel Villanueva were signatories to the resolution.

On the other hand, nine senators—Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senators Panfilo Lacson, Francis Tolentino, Cynthia Villar, Imee Marcos, Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, Bong Go, Bong Revilla, and Pia Cayetano abstained from voting.

They reiterated that last March the Senate already adopted Senate Resolution No. 344 which expresses the sense of the chamber that ABS-CBN and its subsidiaries should continue operations pending the deliberation of their franchise renewal.

Cayetano initially signed Senate Resolution No. 395 but later asked to withdraw from it saying  that the matter is now in the Supreme Court after ABS-CBN filed a petition.

The NTC previously said it will heed the advice of the Department of Justice and both houses of Congress to allow the company to continue broadcasting "based on equity."

However, it issued a cease and desist order against ABS-CBN after the Office of the Solicitor General, its legal counsel, warned that NTC executives could face graft charges should they allow ABS-CBN and its affiliate to continue operations through provisional authorities after their 25-year franchises lapsed on May 4.

The NTC already denied that Solicitor General Jose Calida's warning affected its decision.

Calida also defended the NTC and said it merely followed the law.

The Palace, for its part, said it will have its hands off the issue as it pointed out that President Rodrigo Duterte does not have appellate jurisdiction over NTC and thus cannot order it to reverse its decision.—AOL, GMA News