Albay 1st district Rep. Edcel Lagman felt the need Thursday, Aug. 25 to encourage the people behind ABS-CBN and TV5 to follow through their deal after it was publicly assailed during a House briefing the previous day.
Lagman, in a statement, told ABS-CBN and TV5 to be “brave and steadfast in closing their business agreement which is aboveboard and violates no law or regulation".
“There is no merger of ABS-CBN and TV5, and ABS-CBN’s minority investment in TV5 does not result in the acquisition of control," underscored the Bicolano, who joined Wednesday joint briefing on the matter hosted by the Committees on Legislative Franchises and on Trade and Industry.
During the virtual briefing, SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta highlighted before the official of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) the supposed lingering violations of the shuttered ABS-CBN and why it's deal with TV5 is at the very least a questionable one.
Lagman served as a counterpoint to fellow lawyer Marcoleta's tirades against the transaction.
On Thursday, Lagman, an independent minority solon, noted that the two involved media companies "are pausing their closing preparations in order to respond to some critics".
In a bid to galvanize ABS-CBN and TV5, the veteran lawmaker said that the viewing public awaits the democratization of the broadcast and television industry with the enhancement of competition resulting from the transaction.
The deal will allow ABS-CBN, which currently doesn't have a franchise, to provide content to TV5.
Lagman said that requiring TV5 and ABS-CBN to seek prior approval from the NTC, PCC, and/or the Congress of the Philippines before consummating their lawful transaction is not only a violation of the right to contract but is a prior restraint on press freedom and free speech.
He cited the ruling of the Supreme Court (SC) in Chavez vs. Gonzalez where it held that press freedom “is the instrument by which citizens keep their government informed of their needs, their aspirations and their grievances. It is the sharpest weapon in the fight to keep government responsible and efficient. Without a vigilant press, the mistakes of every administration would go uncorrected and its abuses unexposed”.
The PCC said during the briefing that they initially found the deal as "non-notifiable".