Network giant ABS-CBN will be given a chance to air its side should complaints be lodged against its application for the renewal of its franchise to operate, a ranking lawmaker said on Thursday.
“The advice of Speaker Alan (Peter Cayetano) is for us to make sure that we would always be fair and impartial in reviewing the application of ABS-CBN, or any other public utility, for that matter,” said Palawan First District Rep. Franz Alvarez, chair of the House committee on legislative franchises.
He added, however, that the congressional grant allowing the network to continue its operations is a privilege, and not a right, under the law.
Alvarez made the statement after President Duterte’s recent remarks about blocking the network’s franchise renewal drew condemnation from media groups and the political opposition, which described the move as a blow to freedom of the press.Albay First District Rep. Edcel Lagman on Thursday urged Mr. Duterte to file charges before the proper courts against ABS-CBN, instead of resorting to the “extrajudicial killing (EJK)” of media freedom.
Press freedom ‘EJK’
“The President must institute with the proper judicial or administrative forum his personal grievances against ABS-CBN, instead of imposing an extrajudicial killing of the freedom of the press,” the opposition lawmaker said, referring to the administration’s violent war on drugs that has resulted in the death of thousands of suspected drug users.
“The President must uphold the freedom of the press and respect the independence of the Congress, particularly the House of Representatives, where franchise bills originate, in granting and extending franchises,” Lagman said.
Earlier, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines called on independent Filipino journalists and citizens to “band together and protect the free arena of ideas” threatened by the closure or forced sale of ABS-CBN.
The network’s 25-year franchise expires in March 2020.
Although it is up to Congress to renew it, the bill still has to be approved by Mr. Duterte. The President has repeatedly aired his objections to the renewal of the media company’s franchise and suggested on Monday that its owners should “just sell (the network).”According to Alvarez, the House will “thoroughly study and hear all sides” on ABS-CBN’s application for franchise renewal when Congress resumes on Jan. 20.
“Does the President and many others who have made statements against ABS-CBN’s election coverage and election ad placement system, have a legitimate grievance against (the network)? Did ABS-CBN violate the provisions of its franchise?” Alvarez asked.
The Palawan lawmaker did not state whether his committee had already set a hearing on the issue, or if any complaint had been formally filed against the network. Neither did he respond to text messages from the Inquirer seeking to clarify the points he made in his statement.
Reminiscent of martial lawBut Alvarez dismissed insinuations that described ABS-CBN’s troubles as a press freedom issue.
“The issue involves the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN. There is no attempt to muzzle or control the media here so do not try to make this a press freedom issue when it is not,” he said.According to Lagman, Mr. Duterte’s “blatant curtailment of press freedom” in trying to block the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise recalls the martial law years under authoritarian President Ferdinand Marcos.
“(This) is ominously reminiscent of the unceremonious closure nationwide of 392 media outlets in 1972 at the outset of martial law, including ABS-CBN’s predecessor, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.,” the Albay representative said.
Congress, he said, should “act independently” and not be “cowed by the President’s wanton rantings.”
“Any deliberate and arbitrary denial of the extension of ABS-CBN’s franchise will render jobless 10,955 regular and nonregular employees … and freeze P84.6 billion (in) assets and investments,” he said.