Lagman urges House: Fast track action on ABS-CBN franchise renewal

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives could have fast-tracked action on ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal as seen on the lower chamber’s swift action on the bill granting the network a provisional franchise until October 2020, Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman said Thursday.

According to Lagman, depending on the “will and predisposition” of House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, “a bill can be approved with inordinate alacrity or can languish in virtual perpetuity.”

“The express approval by the House of Representatives of the interim franchise was accomplished by converting the House into the Committee of the Whole, which was the same medium used in approving in one special session day the “Bayanihan Act” or RA No. 11469,” Lagman said in a statement.

“This kind of fast-tracking could have been done much earlier in the committee on legislative franchises upon the directive of the Speaker by considering and deliberating on the 12 bills proposing for the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise,” the lawmaker added.

However, the House leadership “temporized action on the measures” until the network’s franchise expired on May 4, said Lagman.

“The reasonable action of the House leadership could have averted the adverse consequences of the franchise expiration like the stoppage of ABS-CBN’s operations, the denial to the public of access to vital information on the current COVID-19 pandemic, displacement of thousands of ABS-CBN employees and related workers and talents, and derogation of the freedom of the press,” Lagman said.

During Wednesday’s session, the lower chamber convened into a committee of the whole to tackle House Bill No. 6732, which was filed by Cayetano and several other lawmakers on the same day.

House rules state that when the lower chamber constitutes itself into a Committee of the Whole, “it functions as one committee acting upon a bill or resolution, and conducting its proceedings like a regular committee with its membership composed of all the members of the House.”

After the committee of the whole’s approval, the bill was immediately deliberated and eventually approved on second reading. The lower chamber is set to tackle—and possibly approve—the bill on third reading next week.

“The approval of HB 6732 by the House of Representatives will not automatically restore the operations of ABS-CBN because the bill has to be enacted into law after the concurrence of the Senate and the approval of the President,” Lagman said.

“Meanwhile, the House leadership is urged to commence consideration of the pending bills and resolve the alleged violations by ABS-CBN of its franchise before the projected provisional franchise would lapse after October 31, 2020, or five months from now,” he added.

On May 5, one day after its franchise expired, ABS-CBN shut down its broadcast operations following an order from the National Telecommunications Commission.

/MUF