A HOUSE of Representatives committee may take up bills providing media company ABS-CBN Corp. with a fresh 25-year franchise even if Congress is on break.
Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez on Wednesday issued a motion urging the House legislative franchises panel to still conduct hearings on bills seeking to provide ABS-CBN with a new franchise despite lawmakers going on a four-month break for the midterm polls in May.
“I’m moving… that the committee meets during the break, to get authority from the Speaker, so that we can hear these five bills,” he told lawmakers during a House hearing.
Parañaque Rep. Gus S. Tambunting, who heads the House legislative franchises committee, approved the motion. “I will,” he said in response to Mr. Rodriguez after a back-and-forth bantering.
The prospects of providing ABS-CBN a new franchise gained steam in early January after Albay Rep. Jose Ma. Clemente S. Salceda filed the latest measure to allow the media giant to operate radio and television broadcasting stations.
Five bills seeking to provide ABS-CBN with a new franchise have been filed since 2022.
ABS-CBN was forced to halt its broadcast operations in May 2022 after former President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s allies in Congress denied its franchise renewal application owing to alleged tax issues and violations of its original franchise terms.
“There was procedural due process in not granting the renewal, but not substantive because there was no reason to not extend them,” said Mr. Rodriguez, noting that the Bureau of Internal Revenue cleared the media company of tax liabilities.
“And yet the previous Congress denied the extension of the franchise,” he added.
Meanwhile, the National Telecommunications Commission said during the same hearing that there are available frequencies for ABS-CBN if Congress grants it a new franchise.
“In the event that Congress decides to grant a franchise, NTC will be able to grant stations to ABS-CBN, specifically in areas where frequencies are available, ” NTC Deputy Commissioner Alvin Bernard B. Blanco told lawmakers. “There are still frequencies which ABS-CBN can apply for.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
