Nlalaya,

Business Insght
Th ursday, .February 73, 2O2O

'F{ouse franchise panel

under pressure from all sides'
BY !VEI{DELL VIGII.IA obrr,rusll. ainrcJ lr prcssurin!r pctiloo rvir:h tLrc Suptco,c (ioLrt
lnwrrxlicrs t() c\l.eltLl the franchisc, sccliing thc rcvocation of thc
r\N ;Lrlnrinistr';rtirrn ll" rraLcr rrcl- ;\lban' s,ricl. ncm,L,r:li's fiarchisc firt its allcgcd
rlittrcl 1r:srcttlel lhilt I l()use ir)cnl " PrLirrLt rren oioJ,o nrLmLrT srLr:r "rtbrrsii c precticcs."
Lrrs licl "pr:csrurccl" b1 Ptcsidcnt lirue). \\.rc'rc
LrLrri (Plcrrsc li:ave us r\llS (ltsN's 2-5 yct t:r:anchisc
i)rrtcrrc's stlrrr:i,ttirilsl thc rctiervll rrot Lrnll being Irtcssurcti b)' tire cxpircs r,n Ai.,uch 30, /\1blno ind
t-'1r thc lc.qirlrrtir c lranclrisc of tclc Prcsiclrnt, but cvcl ABS CllN has Seoetc Plcsiclent \riccnte Sotto III
visr()o ncr..v()t li t\]tS (lllN bcco rrurniog stories," hc saicl. on'l'ucsclny snicl the nctrvorli can
ls:rbclrr l{cp. :\ n trr nio " li rrl pcr." DLrrcltc hns brcn cr-iticizinu cooLin,-rc opcLati|ig c!cn aliet its
,\lbrLoo, e r'icc chrLir: Lri tht crrnrnit I\IJS (lBN lor thc rnedia ncrrvorkiJ fr':Lnclisc cxpircs bccruse tire biils
tcc on lctisleln c fr:unclrisc, stid rhc liilule to air his clLrpargr ac'ls clur- scckrg l ltnnchisc rcncrval ere still
lrrcssurc is coLling "tir,rr lLl sirlcs." ing the 2016 presiclcntirl polls dc pcndlng.
Asrrlc llour thc Prcsirlcnr, prcs spitc its collection of his paymcnt. Scvetnl Lrills scehiog l r-cnerval oi
sLrrc is llso comin! lj-orr thc'l'\/ l,asr N{onda1., Soliciror Gcncnl
giaLr L thrLt lns bccrr t trnniru sS l ics .losc C;rlidr lilcd a qr,ro w.rrtento Sce FIOLISE> PagcB2

'Anq opinjon noon.-ang expecradon noon

au i-. t"i"-t^s opposidon. pwedeng imloy
HOUSE oara kapag na-appiove na, in effect,
mag-retroact

the franchise have been peoding at the House ir* "ioi*a iti a*chise to the day the fran-
since the last 17th Congtess .'.il*a iur? rfir, being used today in order
"
tbat the ABS-CBN franchise may con-
Albano said it is 'unfair to accuse congless- to iustifi,
the expectadon n tbe
men of sronewalling amjd calls ftom various .i]t'".,-d1t" opi"i"n uefore,
sectots for the panel to hear the franchise bill. .,^.ib!.r.,,Jth"t. *as nobody opposjng it' was
so rhat when
He said thev h'ave been busy urith orler im- i.r.*otr. a"".o"tinue opemtions effect'it will
Dormnt issues like the Taal Volcano eruprion ti"-ft*a"r" *..*A is approrrd,in
ftanchise expired)
iast month and the threat of the 2019 novel i"1"""""ti*," ,U" aay'*re
Drilon told radio dzRH. "'
coronavirus, now called COVID-19.
He said that as a compatison, the public
should knov *rat even the 17th Congress had
UNFAIR '
failed to act oo the same measure. ap-
"Kunq Ersto niyongmag-blame game, '1ung ALbano said fellow lawmakers ate also
panel He said rhe com-
ibans cJmmittees,'1ung Iegislarive franchise olvine Dtessure on the
comi:rittee (lf you want to play the blame game, "-i;;;? fu held execucive meetings abor'rt rhe
p1s55u1e f19rn gutside
the orher committees; in the 1?tlr Congress did "lE"n to uvoid
irarrchise
i*rs'i. there! pressure not on'ly
not evell act on it because of so many other uo,,
pt.ti[.nt, pressute from
erorr,'it'a therel
pressing issues," Albano said.
c,lrrnr"tr-^ Uto Atienza, our colJeagues.in
-.i!t"ti. tr.t.*t pt"s:ure from tbe media"'he
LEGAL QUESTION
'' ANC in an intetvtew'
told
a'SS-CBN to be careF.ll about
Senate minoriw leader Franklin Drilon said ft.
"-pp.a.a."
its'Vo'riings" when teporting srories about *re
the operation of ABS-CBN beyood the expira-
tion could pose a legal question ?i""lr"* i.'..*a ulll becattsi "yott- are actt'ally
He said if
the legidative franchise expires, ;;;l;;;;r".t"t. on us also which is actually
it follor.vs that ABS-CBN cannot co[rtrnue b'ui i-ot"o,-.r Cottgr".s as a vhole "
"-iri^.
*g.a "t.l.t" to tespond to the
Petruon lt
ooerating. "erwork
'DriioJsaid issues raised in the quo warranto
rhe practice in the past years has 'ai"a it is highly
been that a legislatile ftanchise is deemed ex- t.i"i" ,tt" s"preme Coutt "as d be
tended if *rerels a pending bill for its renewal but orobable that thoie same concerns rvor-
'tackled in our hearings "
it was subject of debates in the Pleoary last year'

i
a

rrcod1

In a statement teleased late Tuesday aftel-
noon, Speaket AIan Peter Cayetano utged
the network to do some "soul-searching i aod
teflect on "how we have all reached this point."
He gave the assurance Congress will fulfill its
..,nsd"tutional mandate to teview and decide on
the ftanchise issue, despite the OSG's pending
action before the Supfeme Court.
As to the timetable fot *re headngs, Cayetano
said that while "there ate certaio interests who
waot to rush this process, we stand by the iead-
ership of the l8th Congress and the cnmmitree
on legisladve franchises on how to prioritize
urgent and imporrant legislation."
Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, one
of th-e aut-hors of the bil.ls seeking to extend
the network's franchise, said Calida "is wrong
in usurping the power of Congress by tying
to go to the SuPteme Coult "
'-lI.
be dismissed immediately oo the
*ill
gtounds that, fitst. the Supreme Court hap
no iurisdiction and second. the Petrbon has
no Lasis. The tepeal of a franchise is within
Consress' domaio. We in Coogress will not be
deteired bv this fiIinq," he said'
Chjef Presidential Lrgal Counsel Salvador
Panelo. concutrent presidenrial spokesman,
maintained rhe President had nothing to fu
with CaLida's petition.
He also re'futed claims that the Supreme
Court has no iurisdiction ovet the franchise
issue.
'They ate wtong Under the Constirution'
the Suoreme Court can act on any conEoversy
when it involves an abuse of discretion," he
said while reitetadnq that Calida was iust do-
ing his job of Fting"clrarges when he sees aiy
irregularity or unlawfirl act
CALIDASI.AMMED
Print and broadcast reporters coverirg th'e
iusdce beat (Supreme Court, Courr of Appeals,
and the Departrnentof lustice) slammed Calida
for calting out ABS-CBN reponer M'ike Narallb
after the 6ling of the quo wattanto Petrhon ,
In a statemint' the Iustice and Court Report-
ers Association (UCilA) said Calida could and
should have aniwered the quety of Navallo
on the reasofl fol 6ling the Padtion instead df
showing hostility to the teporter.
js
"soLicitor General lose Calida more thah
welcome ro pr.s.n, his side in a calm, )ogic*l
mander on aits and issues invoMng him' He
has consistentlv refused to do so. lnstead ttrt
solicitot general accused Mr. Navallo of perse-
..,tins h; and utqed him menacingly to pnC-
cice li'- iostead oiiournalism." JUCRA said
''Calida. by h.is hosdJiry to Atry' Navallo,
failed to rise co rhe exacdng smndards of his
ptofession borh as an officei of the court and
'as
a rankine civil servant," it added.
The eroip said what Calda has done is an
"affron?' to^the media's constitutional right ro
report and ask questions.
Calida refused to be inrerviewedby reporters
after the 61ing, saying he was in a hutry for an
aooointment.
'ixl".n Navallo ptessed him for details' Calida
again said he has io go and rhen asked the Laner
if he is a lawvet.
S(4"en Navallo answered in the affirmative,
Caiida said Navallo has been criticizing him and
rold r}le reporter to jusr pracdce hjs profession
so thev would face each other in coutt.
Navallo replied he was just doing his job as
a iournalist.
Reporrers co'"ering l\4alacaiang issr-:ed a
statement savinqit is idvocating "respect for
press fteedomls an act of solidarity with
ABS-CBN."
The MalacaiangPress CorPs (MPC), ao inde-
pendent organization composed of iournalists
*ho are resulariv covering President Duterre
in the Palaci, also vowed to re-
"ia
mdn".in;.ii,
vigilant against attemPts to "weaponizb
legal reiredies and processes to suppress ftee
expression."
i'ln liqhtof the recent developments, pardcu-
Iarlv Io-ABS-CBN\ franchise issue, the MPC
d.ilor", u.ty to curtail these freedoms,
"ttempt
io any way and form. In recent years, the MPC
has taken a stand against thteats and attacks
on press fieedom, including efforts to spreaf
feki news and discredtc the rraditional media.
Once more, the MPC firmly advocates respect
fot press freedom as an act of solidarity with
ABS-CBN," MPC said "
Other mediagroups have exPressed r suPPort
for ABS-CBN like the Defense Press CorPs oI
the Philippines, the PNP Ptess Corps and the .
EconomiCJoumalsts Associarion of rlre Phj.lip-
pine' GIAP) which asked Congtess to tenew
the network! franchise. - Wrfi Raymond Af-
rba, locelln Montemaiot, and As hlel Hachclo .
\ raealr PAq€'l
(a)