No decision yet to cite NTC execs in contempt; panel to consider apology, reason – Alvarez

MANILA, Philippines — There is no decision yet on whether or not four National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) officials should be cited in contempt in relation to their cease and desist order against ABS-CBN Corp., Palawan 1st District Rep. Franz Alvarez said Thursday.

“The Committee shall duly consider the officials’ explanation and the apology contained therein in resolving whether or not they should be held in contempt,” Alvarez, who chairs the House committee on legislative franchises, said in a statement.

This came after four NTC officials – Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba, Deputy Commissioner Edgardo Cabarios, Deputy Commissioner Delilah Deles, and Legal Branch Head Ella Blanca Lopez –responded to the show cause order earlier issued against them by Alvarez.

In a letter dated May 12, the officials apologized for their failure to notify Congress that they would not issue a provisional authority to ABS-CBN and that they would issue a cease and desist order against the broadcasting firm.

The officials reasoned that the “Constitution, the laws, and jurisprudence, provided insurmountable obstacles to the issuance of provisional authority, notwithstanding equitable considerations.”

Alvarez said the committee will include NTC’s response in their consideration of various House resolutions related to the ABS-CBN franchise.

The lawmaker said this includes House Resolution No. 853 of Deputy Speaker Paolo Duterte, ACT-CIS Partylist Rep. Eric Yap, and Cavite 8th District Rep. Abraham Tolentino calling for an investigation into ABS-CBN’s alleged violations of its franchise.

“We shall advise the NTC in due course of the Committee’s actions with regard to the foregoing matters,” Alvarez said.

In a House hearing in March, Cordoba told members of the House that they will follow the advice of the Department of Justice by issuing an interim authority to allow ABS-CBN to operate beyond the aspiration of its franchise on May 4 while its renewal bid is pending in Congress.

But NTC issued on May 5 a cease and desist order against ABS-CBN, which obliged and went off the air at 7:52 p.m. that day.

In a radio interview following the issuance of the cease and desist order, Alvarez said NTC officials may be cited in contempt for backtracking on their word.

KGA