Cayetano urges lawmakers to vote on conscience on ABS-CBN franchise

MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers should vote on their conscience whether they would grant another 25-year franchise to media giant ABS-CBN.

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said this on Monday as the lawmakers probe the media network’s alleged political bias in the 12th hearing conducted by the joint panels on ABS-CBN’s franchise

“From the start, we’ve been urging a conscience vote,” he told reporters in an interview.

He said those who are for the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise should “open their minds” to the side of the opposition and vice versa.

“That’s why we made the hearings public, so that the people can decide for themselves. So, this is one of the rare cases where representatives will decide for the people,” Cayetano said.

The House have been hearing the issue on the ABS-CBN franchise, focusing on the several controversies including the citizenship of the network’s chair emeritus Gabby Lopez, the Lopez family’s reclamation of the network after the EDSA Revolution, the alleged labor violations of the network, and tax-related issues.

The “political bias” issue is seen as one of the last, if not the last, issue that the House committees seek to tackle with regard to ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal bid.

While the hearings were jointly conducted by the two House panels, only the 46 members of the legislative franchise committee, as well as the 44 House officials who are considered ex officio members, will be able to vote.

If the members’ vote will be for the franchise renewal, ABS-CBN’s application will be up for discussion in the plenary. [ac]