October 31 deadline on ABS-CBN franchise ‘could still work’ — Villafuerte

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives “could still work” with their initial October 31 deadline for deliberations on ABS-CBN’s bid for a 25-year franchise as long as debates—from those for and against—are expected.

Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte said this a day after the House dropped the bill granting ABS-CBN a provisional franchise to operate and to instead proceed with the deliberations for the network’s bid for a 25-year franchise—and in effect, further delaying the possible resumption of the network’s broadcast operations.

This self-imposed deadline was based on the now dropped House Bill No. 6732, which would have given ABS-CBN a provisional franchise to operate until October 31, 2020, while Congress deliberates on the network’s bid for a 25-year franchise.

“Our self-imposed deadline when we were doing the provisional franchise was on or before October 31 so we could still work on that timeline. However, alam mo naman maraming pro, maraming against. Even yung mga pro would want to speak,” Villafuerte said.

(However, there are a lot of people who are pro and against the franchise. Even those supporting the franchise want to speak.)

“Just determining the rules bakbakan yan. Ilang minutes ba ang ibibigay mo sa congressmen? 2, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes? Let’s just say 5 minutes each na bitin na bitin, at 200 congressmen that’s 1000 minutes may rebuttal. It will really take a lot of session days,” he added.

(Just determining the rules is a battle. How many minutes will you give the congressmen? Two, three, five minutes, 10 minutes? Let’s just say five minutes each which is already short. At 200 congressmen, that’s 1000 minutes and there’s still rebuttal. It will really take a lot of session days.)

Even if Congress will do “eight hours a day hearings,” Villafuerte said there are still limitations since they could not invite 10 to 20 resource persons at once because of the ban against mass gatherings as part of health protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“May limitation (There are still limitations) but we can assure you that we will do our best and as Speaker has mentioned, we will do everyday sessions as needed,” Villafuerte said.

The October timeline could serve as a “personal goal” which could go faster or slower depending on the hearings, said Villafuerte.

“I think three to four months is a safe number because that was our target when we set the October 30 provisional franchise. We can make that as a personal goal. It can go faster, it can go slower, depende po yan (it depends). Malalaman natin yan sa first two hearings (We will see in the first two hearings),” said Villafuerte.

During Tuesday’s session, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano bared that the leadership of the lower chamber has decided to drop House Bill No. 6732 and instead push through with tackling bills that seek to grant ABS-CBN a 25-year franchise.

Cayetano, however, did not mention when the hearings would begin.

“Our session schedule is from Monday to Wednesday. We will have a break on June 3 or 4 and be back July but the Speaker has mentioned yesterday, he’s willing to conduct hearings even during the break so I think that will be determined either today, latest Monday, by the committee chairman Chikoy,” Villafuerte said, referring to Palawan 1st District Rep. Franz Alvarez who chairs the House committee on legislative franchises.

“Unfortunately, Chairman Chikoy is still in Palawan, there’s no flight coming back to Manila but that does not stop Congress from hearing. We can do zoom hearings anyway,” Villafuerte added.

For now, Villafuerte said the “reality” is that ABS-CBN will remain closed without a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the Supreme Court against the National Telecommunication’s (NTC) cease and desist order which directed the network to stop its broadcast operations.

/MUF