This photo shows the plenary hall of the House of Representatives. INQUIRER.net file photo
MANILA, Philippines — The leadership of the House of Representatives, particularly House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, should be held accountable for the delay in its action on the franchise renewal of broadcast giant ABS-CBN, a policy advocacy group said on Wednesday.
In a statement, the Action for Economic Reforms (AER) denounced the cease-and-desist order of the National Telecommunications Commission to ABS-CBN on Tuesday, a day after the 25-year franchise of the network expired. It said that “such politically motivated action undermines the whole-of-society effort to beat COVID-19.”
“The leadership of the House of Representatives, specifically Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, must be made accountable for delaying the action on the franchise renewal. This makes Speaker Cayetano and his political faction complicit in the conspiracy to close down ABS-CBN,” the AER said.
Cielito Habito, former Secretary of Socioeconomic Planning and Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority during the Ramos administration, was among the 25 signatories mentioned in the statement released by AER.
“It is a supreme and most tragic irony that a media organization that is doing public service in the time of COVID-19 is being singled out to close down but non-essential Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators [POGOs] are being allowed to open despite the danger they bring in transmitting infection,” AER added.
It noted that the cease-and-desist order is legally contestable, adding that even Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said that ABS-CBN can be issued a provisional authority to operate pending its franchise renewal in Congress.
The group, likewise, criticized NTC and Solicitor General Jose Calida, who, a day before the expiration of the network’s franchise, warned that NTC commissioners could be prosecuted if they will issue provisional authority in the absence of a franchise.
“We likewise score the NTC for bowing to political pressure. We condemn Solicitor General Calida for his political arbitrariness; for ditching national cohesiveness in fighting COVID-19 to give way to his opaque interests,” said AER.
“From the perspective of addressing the country’s health and economic survival, we no longer need to speculate whether President Rodrigo Duterte is bent on inflicting harm on ABS-CBN or is playing a political charade to ultimately look good,” it added.
The group added that the shutdown of broadcast operations of ABS-CBN sends a signal that the Duterte administration “does not care about national unity and is more concerned about political vendetta.”
“The political backlash is now happening. Tragically, the Filipino people will suffer most—with their lives and their health at stake— from this political turmoil that this administration has created amidst the pandemic,” it concluded.
As of posting time, INQUIRER.net is reaching out to Cayetano who has yet to issue a response regarding the franchise renewal issue.