House bloc seeks plenary action on ABS-CBN’s franchise bid

In a letter dated July 20, Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate, writing on behalf of the Makabayan bloc, said the decision of the House panel to deny ABS-CBN’s franchise application needs the approval of the entire House of Representatives. (File photo by Patrickroque01 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

MANILA – Opposition lawmakers at the House of Representatives have formally asked the House Committee on Legislative Franchises to submit the adopted resolution and technical working group report on the denial of ABS-CBN’s franchise to the plenary for ratification.

In a letter dated July 20, Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate, writing on behalf of the Makabayan bloc, said the decision of the House panel to deny ABS-CBN’s franchise application needs the approval of the entire House of Representatives.

Zarate said the plenary has “all the right” to ask the committee to report its actions on the measures referred to them, citing section 44 of the House rules stating that “the committee to which the bill or joint resolution is referred shall be principally responsible for submitting a report to the House.”

“In this regard, we, therefore respectfully move and pray for the Committee on Legislative Franchise[s] to submit the said Committee TWG Report and the adopted Committee Resolution to the plenary for ratification of its decision,” the lawmakers said in their letter.

“Undeniably, majority of the 305 members of the House of Representatives are being deprived of the opportunity to deliberate and even vote on the said issue, in representation of their constituents who were badly affected by the committee decision,” they added.

Zarate also noted that the TWG report approved by the committee contains recommendations that need the approval of the entire House in plenary.

“Surely, the entire House cannot be ordered by a mere Committee to investigate, for instance, ‘in aid of legislation Philippine Depositary Receipts’, or give ‘tax and fiscal incentives to prevent tax avoidance measures’,” the lawmakers said. “We, thus submit, that the TWG report and the Committee Resolution, which now stands as the Committee Report, require the approval of the House before it can be implemented.”

Other members of the Makabayan bloc are Bayan Muna Reps. Ferdinand Gaite and Eufemia Cullamat, ACT-Teachers Party-list France Castro, Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Sarah Elago.

On July 10, the House Committee on Legislative Franchises approved by a 70-11 vote, with one abstention, the resolution denying the franchise application of ABS-CBN Corp. to construct, install, establish, operate, and maintain radio and broadcasting stations in the Philippines. Two other lawmakers inhibited from voting.

The previous House hearings have exhaustively discussed the network’s franchise issues, including the citizenship of ABS-CBN chair emeritus Gabby Lopez; the possible violation of the constitutional limits on foreign ownership; reported labor and tax violations; and other violations of the terms of its legislative franchise.

ABS-CBN, upon the directive of the National Telecommunications Commission’s (NTC) shutdown order, ceased its broadcast operations on May 5, or a day after the expiration of the network’s legislative franchise.

The NTC on June 30 also issued two cease and desist orders, directing ABS-CBN to halt the operation of its digital television transmission using Amcara Broadcasting Corp.’s Channel 43 and the direct-to-home satellite transmission of its cable firm, Sky Cable Corp.