House franchise panel exec: Don’t compare ABS-CBN issue to Martial Law

MANILA, Philippines — Isabela Rep. Antonio “Tonypet” Albano on Wednesday said the issue on the franchise renewal of media network giant ABS-CBN should not be compared to Martial Law.

According to Albano, even President Rodrigo Duterte advocates for press freedom. 

Albano made the remark as public clamor increases for the House committee on legislative franchises to tackle the application for renewal of ABS-CBN. 

“Huwag naman natin itulad ito doon sa Martial Law years na sinasabi na (Let us not compare this to the Martial Law years and say that) this is a dictatorship, there is no due process. We do have rule of law,” Albano, vice-chairperson of the House committee on legislative franchises, said in a press briefing. 

“They can always go to the Supreme Court, the freedom of speech has never been impeded especially the Speaker, the President himself has always advocated for press freedom,” he added. 

Albano even said that as former president of RPN 9, he also values press freedom and that he has stood with journalists to fight for the right of a person for freedom of speech. 

“But we remember that freedom of speech is not absolute. If it is the right of another person that you are impeding, then we have to call them –  a spade,” he asserted. 

“If you are doing yellow journalism, engaging in fake news, not fulfilling your legal contracts, and are libelous in content, then the government has the right to take away the franchise of a certain network,” he added. 

Further, Albano said: “But if you are doing great and you are not a yellow journalist, you are not biased in your reporting, then I do not see why we should not renew your franchise or even grant a franchise to any network.”

Duterte not dictating House

Albano also assured that despite the previous pronouncements of Duterte regarding his disapproval of ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal, the House lawmaker said the President is not dictating on the lower chamber. 

“Totoo po ito, wala hong pinapadala samin. Walang dikta si Presidente samin,” Albano said.

(This is the truth, they are not sending to us anything. The President has no directive to us.) 

“Otherwise, kung may dikta (if there’s a directive) and I already said this yesterday, if the president really wants to dictate on us, we could have heard already the franchise and if it is true what they say, ‘yung mga fake news na nalalabas ng ating mga ibang kalaban sa pulitika na tuta lang kami ni Presidente (those fake news being peddled by enemies in politics that we are mere puppets of the Preisdent), then we should have heard ABS-CBN’s franchise, calendar that right away and denied it right away,” the lawmaker added. 

Albano said the House leadership is just being “cautious” given the gravity of the issue at hand. 

Republic Act No. 3846 requires television and radio broadcasting companies to secure a franchise from the government before they are allowed to operate. It is Congress that will decide whether to extend the franchise to public utilities, such as the media.

At least 11 bills have been filed in the House seeking to renew the franchise of ABS-CBN, which is one of the biggest media outlets in the country. Its franchise is set to expire on March 30. 

But despite the number of bills filed in support of the renewal of the media network giant’s franchise, the House committee on legislative franchises has yet to tackle the matter. 

Edited by KGA