By Ellson Quismorio The ABS-CBN franchise issue should no longer be about pointing fingers, Cagayan de Oro 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said on Monday. An employee looks at an announcement of a Philippine tv network shut down on his mobile phone on May 5, 2020.
(Photo by Maria TAN / AFP / MANILA BULLETIN) “Let’s forget blame-throwing and fault-finding. It’s just a waste of time," said Rodriguez, who previously filed a resolution extending the ABS-CBN franchise for one year. This was before the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issued a cease and desist order against the TV and giant on May 5. "They have their own reasons for their decisions. Let’s move forward by deciding whether we give the network a franchise or not,” the Mindanao lawmaker said. The legislative franchise of the Lopez-owned company expired last Monday, May 4. ABS-CBN reportedly has 11,000 employees. “So now we have to do our job. Let us consider my proposed joint resolution of Congress giving a provisional franchise to ABS-CBN up to June 30, 2022, when the life of the present 18th Congress expires. We should also consider my bill granting the network a new 25-year franchise,” he said. Rodriguez was referring to House Joint Resolution (HJR) No.30 and House Bill (HB) No.6694, respectively. He filed the measures last week. At the same time, the chairman of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments also defended House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano from critics blaming him for the non-renewal of the legislative franchise of ABS-CBN. “I believe the Speaker was sincere and in good faith in writing that letter to the NTC,” Rodriguez said, referring to a letter wherein Cayetano asked the regulatory body to issue the network a provisional authority to continue broadcasting even after May 4. Rodriguez said Cayetano sent the letter “because we had no time to tackle the bills seeking the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise before the Lenten adjournment in March.” On March 10 or a day before the recess, the NTC vowed before the House Committee on Legislative Franchises that it would indeed issue provisional authority. However, the NTC ultimately decided to issue the stoppage order against ABS-CBN. It was later learned that Solicitor General Jose Calida wrote the NTC on April 30 and prodded it to issue the cease and desist order. "It turned out we could not rely on the NTC, which is part of the executive branch. In case of conflict between the executive and legislative branches, it is but natural for NTC to follow its executive bosses,” he said. He pointed out that a joint resolution or a bill passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate and signed by the President “is a law NTC cannot ignore and has to obey.” Rodriguez also said he is not inclined to support a move to inquire why previous Congresses failed to act on the ABS-CBN franchise renewal bills, and why the NTC and Calida acted as they did on the matter. He said that even if ABS-CBN convinces the Supreme Court to restrain the NTC from enforcing its cease-and-desist order, it would just be a temporary relief. “The solution really is to give it a franchise, whether it is provisional up to 2022 or for 25 years,” Rodriguez stressed.