MANILA, Philippines — Did the lower chamber do enough to keep media giant ABS-CBN on air? The answer is yes if you ask Anakalusugan Partylist Rep. Mike Defensor.
“From the hearings, from the letters, from the consensus-building with the Department of Justice (DOJ), with everyone else—yes,” Defensor said in an online press briefing Friday when asked if Congress did enough to prevent the shutdown of the media network giant.
Without mentioning names, the lawmaker even questioned some officials from the executive department putting the blame on the House of Representatives for ABS-CBN’s closure.
“Kaya nga nagtataka din ako sa ibang mga officials ng ehekutibo, at naririnig ninyo naman ‘yang mga nagsasalita. Eh tao niyo ‘yang NTC eh, bakit Kongreso tinuturo ninyo?” Defensor said.
(That’s why I’m also wondering about other officials in the executive, and you hear those talking. NTC is under you, so why do you blame Congress?)
“NTC tao nyo mismo. NTC ang nag-commit at alam naman nating may implikasyon sa tao ‘to. Tutal naman hindi approval ‘yan eh, provisional lang naman ‘yan. Temporary lang ‘yan. ‘Yun ba napakahirap gawin? Hindi,” the lawmaker added.
(NTC is particularly under you. NTC is the one that committed and we all know that this has implications to the public. Besides it’s not an approval, it’s just provisional. Just temporary. Is that too hard to do? No.)
On March 10, NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba told members of the House that they will follow the advice of the Department of the Justice on the issuance of a provisional authority that would allow ABS-CBN to operate even after its license to operate expires and while its franchise renewal bid is pending in Congress. ABS-CBN’s legislative franchise lapsed on May 4.
Despite this pronouncement, NTC moved to issue on May 5 a cease and desist order against ABS-CBN, stopping the company from operating its television and radio broadcasting stations nationwide “absent a valid Congressional Franchise required by law.”
“Hindi ako nagtuturo. Ang linaw ng usapan. Habang kami, pinag-uusapan ang COVID, magkaroon siya (ABS-CBN) ng provisional authority,” Defensor said.
(I am not pointing my fingers at anyone. But the conversation was clear. While we are talking about COVID, give ABS-CBN provisional authority.)
“Payagan niyo muna siya. Bigyan ninyo kami ng panahon para pag-usapan ang prangkisang ito,” he added.
(Allow ABS-CBN to operate in the meantime. Give us time to talk about this franchise.)
Not enough time
On criticisms that the lower chamber dilly-dallied on the franchise renewal bid of ABS-CBN, Defensor said that even if they conducted hearings after budget deliberations, they would not have enough time to decide on the issue.
“Ang punto ko dito even if sinimulan ni Congressman Chikoy Alvarez ng January, kasi wala namang a-attend ng hearing niyan nung budget deliberations mula July to December, sabihin na nating sinimulan nila ng January, hindi niya matatapos ‘yun ng March,” Defensor said.
(My point is even if Congressman Chikoy Alvarez started this in January since no one will attend a hearing on that during the budget deliberations from July to December, it would not be finished by March.)
Defensor explained that there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed and that all parties—supporters and opposition—have to be heard.
The 11 bills seeking the renewal of franchise of ABS-CBN remain pending before the House committee on legislative franchises, the earliest of which, at least in the 18th Congress, was filed in July 2019.