Congress Committee on Franchises OKs NTC authority on ABS-CBN issue

Legislative Franchise Committee head and Palawan Representative Franz Alvarez says Congress authorized the National Telecommunications Commission to allow ABS-CBN Corporation to continue broadcast operations.

“Consistent with precedents, the Committee enjoined the National Telecommunications Commission to allow ABS-CBN to operate until such time that the House of Representatives makes a decision on its application,” said Alvarez on May 4. 

Other congressmen such as Isabela representative and Legislative Franchise Committee vice chairman Antonio “Tonypet” Albano and Agusan del Norte representative Lawrence Fortun voiced their support for this. 

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra also supported NTC authority, repeating his position that there is sufficient basis to allow the network to broadcast while franchise renewal bills are still under Congressional deliberation.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque says Malacañang agrees with letting the NTC handle the franchise renewal issue of ABS-CBN.

“Aantayin po natin ang sagot ng NTC at ang presidente naman po, ipapatupad po kung ano man ang maging desisyon ng NTC (Let us wait for the answer of the NTC and the president, we will implement whatever the NTC decision is),” said Roque. He also said the president will not interfere with the NTC decision. 

Roque added that Duterte has already forgiven ABS-CBN. Duterte in 2017 and at several other times lashed out at ABS-CBN for failing to air his campaign advertisements that he had paid for. ABS-CBN CEO Carlo Katigbak apologized to Duterte during a Senate hearing in February this year. 

Solicitor General Jose Calida on Sunday warned the NTC against issuing provisional authority to ABS-CBN Corp. and its affiliate, ABS-CBN Convergence Inc., in the absence of a franchise from Congress.

Roque acknowledges that the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) works as the alter ego of the president, but he maintains that the ABS-CBN franchise issue falls under the NTC.

ABS-CBN awaits Congressional action on bills pushing for its franchise renewal as the franchise expires today, May 4.