Sotto: Senate won’t resort to shortcuts in renewal of ABS-CBN franchise

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate will stick to procedures set by the Constitution in the granting of franchises to public utilities, and will not resort to short cuts, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III maintained Saturday.

“We follow specific procedures in granting franchises,” Sotto said in a statement. “We cannot do away with certain steps to fast-track the process, or else we can be unjustly accused of currying favors to specific parties.”

On Monday, the Senate public services committee opened its first hearing on the ABS-CBN franchise renewal.

Sotto’s colleague, Senate minority floor leader Franklin Drilon, later filed Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 6 which expresses the sense of Congress that ABS-CBN Corp. “should be allowed to operate under the terms of its existing franchise pending final determination of the renewal of its franchise by the 18th Congress.”

The resolution also seeks the issuance of an appropriate provisional authority by the National Telecommunications Commission as bills on ABS-CBN’s franchise remain pending before Congress.

ABS-CBN’s franchise is set to expire on May 4.

Sotto added that the Senate will maintain an “unbiased treatment” not just to ABS-CBN, but also to other organizations asking for the renewal of their franchise.

“We were elected to serve and protect the interest of our people, not the interest of a few, and we vow to always be faithful to our sworn oaths,” he said.

Edited by MUF