By MB Online and Ben Rosario
The ABS-CBN Corporation said on Monday it did not violate the law amid the quo warranto case filed by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) on the violations of its franchise.
“We reiterate that everything we do is in accordance with the law. We did not violate the law. This case appears to be an attempt to deprive Filipinos of the services of ABS-CBN,” the corporation said in a statement.
Media network said it complied with all the pertinent laws governing its franchise and secured all the necessary government and regulatory approvals for its business operations.
“ABS-CBN Holdings’ Philippine Deposit Receipts or PDRs were evaluated and approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Philippine Stock Exchange prior to its public offering. These are the same instruments used by other broadcast companies to raise capital for the improvement of services,” ABS-CBN said.
“The ownership of ABS-CBN in ABS-CBN Convergence was undertaken under the same law and structures that have been utilized by other telecommunications companies. These are transfers that are approved under the Public Telecommunications Policy Act and are fully compliant with law," it added.
The corporation underscored that it remains committed to serve the Filipino people in delivering information such as the 2019-nCoV ARD, the developments in the Middle East, and updates on Taal Volcano.
On Monday, the government lawyers asked the Supreme Court (SC) to forfeit the legislative franchises of ABS-CBN Corporation and its subsidiary, ABS-CBN Convergence, Inc.
The plea was contained in a quo warranto petition filed by the OSG led by Solicitor General Jose C. Calida.
ABS-CBN slams government
ABS-CBN on Monday slammed government’s bid to close down the network through a quo warranto petition filed before the Supreme Court, saying that shutting it down through false allegations only serves to place millions of Filipino viewers under “serious prejudice.”
In a statement released by the Kapamilya network’s Corporate Communications unit, ABS-CBN also assailed the allegations in the petition as “without merit.”
“ABS-CBN complies with all pertinent laws governing its franchise and has secured all necessary government and regulatory approvals for its business operations,” said one of the largest broadcast networks in the country.
ABS-CBN, one of the broadcast pioneers in the country that currently operates numerous radio and television stations, will cease to exist after March 30 if Congress fails to act on the pending bills.
Although faced by the adverse prospect of not getting a Congress nod for franchise extension, the network’s management remained optimistic that Congress leaders will not renege on their vow to act on the renewal “in a fair manner.”
“To that end, the filing of the quo warranto case is ill-timed given that Congress has already resumed its session,” the network said.
“We remain committed to our mission to serve the Filipino people especially at this time when millions of Filipinos rely on our services in delivering information such as the 2019 NCoV ARD, the developments in the Middle East, and updates on Taal Volcano situation as they relate to our countrymen,” ABS-CBN said. (With a report from Rey Panaligan)