MANILA – A House of Representatives leader has claimed that broadcasting network ABS-CBN may continue to operate until June 30, 2022, despite the expiration of its franchise on March this year.
House legislative franchise committee vice chairman Isabela Representative Tonypet Albano said that the network can continue its operation since there are pending bills for the extension of its legislative franchise.
There are 11 bills seeking for the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise for another 25 years which remain pending at the committee since they were filed in August 2019.
“We want to allay the fears of the public and the [ABS-CBN] employees, ABS-CBN will not cease to exist unless Congress acts on it,” Albano said in a press conference on Wednesday.
“ABS-CBN may actually continue to legally operate under its existing franchise until the end of 18th Congress or until that franchise is formally terminated,” he added. “We are not delaying it. We have enough time. We are proceeding steadily but cautiously, given the highly-charged atmosphere.”
Albano also said that the ABS-CBN can also seek provisional authority before the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) as a remedy.
“There is a provisional authority that can be secured from NTC, since ABS-CBN is using public airwaves,” Albano said.
The Office of Solicitor General has filed a quo warranto petition seeking to revoke ABS CBN’s legislate franchise due to alleged foreign ownership and bypassing of authority of the NTC. The ABS-CBN has maintained that it has not violated any law./PN
