With Congress backing, NTC shouldn’t have bowed down to Calida ‘pressure’ — Poe
MANILA, Philippines — The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) should not have bowed down to pressure due to threats of graft charges should it grant a provisional authority to ABS-CBN without a legislative franchise, Senator Grace Poe said Thursday.
“I don’t think NTC should be afraid, I think that the reason why they feel threatened now is because of the threat of graft but if you believe you’re doing the right thing, I think your case will hold up to any court,” Poe said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel.
“Especially (if) you have the senators behind you and members of Congress (House of Representatives) who will testify and say that ‘Yes, we gave that provisional authority,’” Poe said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel.
On Tuesday, the NTC issued a cease and desist order directing ABS-CBN to stop operating its television and radio broadcasting stations nationwide despite its assurance that it would grant a provisional authority to the network while its franchise renewal remains pending in Congress.
A few days before the NTC issued the order, Solicitor General Jose Calida warned the regulatory body against granting the network provisional authority in the absence of a legislative franchise.
Calida warns NTC vs granting provisional authority to ABS-CBN
He even said the NTC commissioners could risk being prosecuted under the country’s anti-graft and corruption laws should they allow ABS-CBN continue its operations despite the absence of a legislative franchise.
Congressional fiat
According to Poe, the move of both the House of Representatives and the Senate to urge NTC to grant a provisional authority to ABS-CBN should have been enough basis for the commission to do so.
“Remember that it’s in the Constitution that franchises really come from both houses and the Constitution does not really spell out all the steps necessary for you to be able to give that provisional authority to operate,” Poe went on.
“But with the congressional fiat—an enjoiner from Congress and the resolution from the Senate, which has never been done before—it’s pretty clear that the intension of the lawmakers is to at least give that extension to ABS-CBN,” she added.
