MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Tuesday said it respects the decision of the Supreme Court to dismiss the quo warranto case filed against television giant ABS-CBN.
In a statement, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the Palace would let Solicitor-General Jose Calida decide on his next legal steps.
“We respect the decision of the high court, a separate and co-equal branch of government, on the quo warranto case filed against ABS-CBN Corporation… We leave it to the Solicitor-General as the Petitioner to decide on his next legal steps,” said Roque.
“Meanwhile on the issue of renewal of ABS-CBN franchise, we consider this a prerogative of Congress, which is presently deliberating on the matter,” he added
SC Public Information Chief Atty. Brian Keith Hosaka said the high court dismissed Calida’s petition “on the ground of mootness.” The case is already considered moot since the television giant’s franchise has expired last month.
Calida had asked the SC to stop ABS-CBN’s operation, citing several violations of its franchise.
ABS-CBN went off the air on the evening of May 5 in compliance with a cease and desist order of National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) pending congressional approval of its franchise renewal.
ABS-CBN’s legislative franchise expired on May 4. But lawmakers were expecting NTC to release a provisional franchise to the network after they failed to pass any of the bills filed seeking to extend the media giant’s legislative franchise.
ABS-CBN’s franchise woes followed President Duterte’s repeated public rants against the media network since taking power in 2016. He has publicly threatened to block the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN for not airing a paid 2016 presidential campaign advertisement.
Five months before ABS-CBN’s franchise expired, Duterte even vowed that he will see to it that ABS-CBN will be “out.”