Senate to act ‘expeditiously’ to pass bill on ABS-CBN’s provisional franchise

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate will act “expeditiously” to approve the provisional franchise of ABS-CBN, which was forced to go off the air last week, before Congress adjourns session early June.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri made this assurance to the public on Wednesday after the House of Representatives approved a bill granting ABS-CBN a provisional franchise valid until October 31, 2020.

Franchise bills must first be approved by the House before it can be tackled on the Senate floor.

“With the House of Representatives passing the measure on 2nd reading with a 3rd reading schedule next week. We in the Senate will proceed to schedule the Committee hearing early next week to pass the committee report,” Zubiri told reporters in a Viber message.

He also expressed hope that the bill could be sponsored on the floor by Wednesday afternoon (May 20) before the body convenes as a committee of the whole for a scheduled hearing on COVID-19 updates.

“Hopefully we can pass the measure the week after. We will work expeditiously to pass the measure up-to ratification before the June 3 break,” Zubiri added.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon was also optimistic that the bill on ABS-CBN’s provisional franchise can be passed before Congress goes on break in June.

“(I)t can be done. the key is for the (House of Representatives) to act on the franchise,” he said.

A separate was filed recently in the Senate which seeks to grant a provisional franchise to ABS-CBN until June 30, 2022 as Congress deliberates on renewing its franchise for another 25 years.

“We have a proposal till 2022 signed by 13 senators so baka yan ang ma-consider ng committee (so that may be what the committee will consider). Let’s wait for the hearing,” Zubiri said in a separate message when asked if the Senate would prefer a longer validity on ABS-CBN’s provisional franchise.

During Wednesday’s session, two Senate bills—one seeking to renew ABS-CBN’s franchise for another 25 years and the other granting the network a provisional franchise valid until June 2022—have been referred to the Senate public services committee, which is chaired by Senator Grace Poe.

Poe, in a statement, said the exercise of Congress’ mandate to tackle franchise bills would “pave the way for ABS-CBN to throw light upon its case.”

“ABS-CBN has to prove itself worthy of a franchise extension, but to do this, it should be given the opportunity to air its side—the same chance the other interested parties equally deserve,” she said.

She added that it would be an “injustice” not to give ABS-CBN and those who are opposed to the network’s renewal bid “the time and forum to put forward their side.”

“We trust our colleagues in the Senate, having earlier filed a resolution for the extension, will give utmost urgency and importance to this bill in the interest of equity,” the senator added.

Poe earlier inhibited herself from tackling ABS-CBN’s franchise bills and delegated Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, one of the panel’s vice chairs, to take over.

“I feel that expediency is crucial as the Filipino people need access to vital information given that vast swaths of the population emerge out of ECQ. Our people need information to guide us in this uncharted territory,” Gatchalian said in a statement.

He added that the over 11,000 employees of ABS-CBN “need to return to productivity and earn a living in these uncertain times.”

“It is with these reasons in mind that I am opening the committee hearing immediately even if it falls on a Sunday without prejudice to the formal transmission of the House of Representatives this coming Monday,” the senator further said.

On May 5, ABS-CBN was forced to go off the air after the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issued a cease-and-desist order directing the network to stop the operations of its television and radio broadcasting station nationwide.

This despite the NTC’s earlier assurance that it would grant provisional authority to the network pending as Congress deliberates on its franchise renewal.