Senate to tread carefully in handling ABS-CBN franchise bill, Sotto says

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Thursday reminded the chamber's committee on public services to be extra careful on the upcoming hearing concerning ABS-CBN's franchise.

"Kailangan 'yan ang kilos namin ay ika nga tama ang hakbang sapagkat pag nabutasan 'yan ay mayroong dahilan para tirahin," Sotto said in an interview.

He said he will talk to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian who will now lead the Senate panel hearing. The latter will take over after committee chair Senator Grace Poe manifested to recuse herself from doing the said task, given that her mother—actress Susan Roces—works in ABS-CBN.

"Kakausapin ko pa rin si Senator Gatchalian, siya 'yung acting ngayon eh. Sabi ko, teka muna, hinay-hinay ka. 'Yung Senate bill ang ihi-hearing mo kapag nag-hearing ka, hindi 'yung House Bill," Sotto said.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved on second hearing a measure seeking a provisional franchise for ABS-CBN that would be valid until October 31, 2020.

On Thursday, Gatchalian said the upper chamber will start hearing Senate Bill Nos. 981 and 1521 next week. These measures seek to grant ABS-CBN a 25-year franchise and a provisional franchise until June 30, 2022, respectively.

"Tuesday magkakaroon tayo ng hearing, depende kung anong makita natin doon sa hearing ng House. We can have one or two hearings to complete it... I think one or two hearings can be sufficient already," he said.

Further, Sotto said he is wondering why their counterparts in the House opted to approve a provisional franchise with a short validity.

"Ang hindi ko maintindihan, ang gusto kong tanungin, 'yung franchise na ina-approve ng House ay five months. Saan ka nakarinig ng five months na franchise? 25 years kung 25 years, bakit five months?" he said.

"Tatawagan ko rin si Sherwin sasabihin ko medyo mag-iingat ka baka may butas na makita kung sino-sino diyan," he added.

Meanwhile, Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said the House may have committed a Constitutional violation after it passed the ABS-CBN's provisional franchise bill on first and second reading on the same day.

House Deputy Speaker Neptali "Boyet" Gonzales II, on the other hand, maintained that what the congressmen did was right. —LDF, GMA News