No moves to oust Speaker Cayetano amid ABS-CBN issue

FILE: Alan Peter Cayetano in Malacañan on Oct. 28, 2016 KING RODRIGUEZ/Presidential Photo

MANILA – A lawmaker at the House of Representatives on Wednesday said there is no move to oust Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano amid the controversial franchise renewal issue of broadcast giant ABS-CBN.

Cebu City Rep. Raul del Mar addressed the speculations that some lawmakers might use the House’s alleged inaction on ABS-CBN’s franchise to oust Cayetano from the speakership.

“This is the first time I heard about this rumor. There is no coup against the Speaker. I should know because I am always there (in the House of Representatives),” del Mar said in a television interview.

Cayetano earlier said the House would tackle bills seeking to renew the network’s franchise for another 25 years at an appropriate time, either in May or August, to ensure that the process would be sober, fair, and impartial.

Del Mar said he expects Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco to respect the term-sharing agreement President Rodrigo Duterte had brokered between the two lawmakers before the House elected Cayetano as Speaker in July last year.

Under the term sharing arrangement, Cayetano would lead the House for 15 months up to October this year while Velasco would serve the remaining 21 months of the Speaker’s three-year term of office.

Cayetano, meanwhile, said unseating the top leader of the House takes place in plenary sessions through a vote of no confidence and the election of his replacement.

He said some House members might not like his leadership style, but “this is how I know to do my job.”

“Hindi ako marunong na bara-bara. Ayoko na ‘pag na-pressure ng media, maghi-hearing na kaagad (I don’t know how to do something in feverish haste. I don’t want to be pressured by the media to conduct a hearing straight away),” he said.

“So, I’ve explained a million times why it’s important to have orderly, fair hearings. Kung kayang tanggapin ‘to ng majority ng mga kongresista (If majority of the congressmen can accept this), thank you. Kung hindi (If not), then it’s time to choose a new leader and bahala na kayo (it’s up to them). No problem,” he added.

The House Committee on Legislative Franchise on Monday started its preliminary proceedings on the ABS-CBN franchise bills.

Committee chairman Franz Alvarez announced that the committee encourages the different stakeholders, concerned individuals or groups to submit their position papers to support or oppose the ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal.

During a Senate hearing, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the government may grant ABS-CBN a provisional authority to continue operating pending the renewal of its franchise through a concurrent resolution of Congress authorizing the National Telecommunications Commission to issue a provisional authority.

Guevarra said this is the position of the Department of Justice after noting a gap in the law that could have declared the status of operations of a radio and TV franchisee pending the renewal of its franchise.