Senator Risa Hontiveros and SAGIP party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta on Wednesday had a heated argument over the controversial ABS-CBN shutdown.
Hontiveros raised the ABS-CBN franchise issue during the Commission on Appointments’ deliberation on the ad interim appointment of Commission on Audit (COA) Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba.
Cordoba was the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) chief during that time.
Hontiveros recalled that Cordoba issued a cease and desist order against ABS-CBN to stop operating despite his sworn commitment that he would issue a provisional authority to the broadcast giant while it await its legislative franchise approval.
She said that the former NTC Commissioner issued the order due to pressure from his predecessor, former COA chair and former solicitor general Jose Calida.
In 2020, Calida warned the NTC against the granting of provisional authority to ABS-CBN and claimed that Congress could only grant a franchise.
For his part, Cordoba said he only acted after their “careful study” of the Supreme Court’s past case wherein the ruling was “no franchise, no operation.”
However, Hontiveros argued that several media companies in the past continued operation despite their franchises had lapsed already.
The Senator pointed out that the ABS-CBN shutdown had affected 12,000 employees.
Marcoleta, who also pushed for the denial of the broadcast giant’s franchise, interfered and asked Hontiveros the reason why she was “belaboring” the issue.
“As I said, this is moot and academic. In the House of Representatives, we have proven the various violations of ABS-CBN. How much taxes have been deprived from the government? Millions of taxes,” he said.
Hontiveros said she was “hardly belaboring” the issue.
“Ito po ay may kinalaman sa trust na ilalagak ng publiko sa chair ng COA batay sa track record na ipinakita nila bilang chair ng ibang komisyon. And we can even in fact say, Madam Chair, na mas mataas pa nga ang tungkulin ng COA bilang isa sa mga constitutional commissions natin,” she added.
Marcoleta also claimed that the ABS-CBN issue is not about press freedom, it is about the franchise.
“How can we say it’s not about press freedom, it’s about the franchise? Sa issue po itong, nagbuhol-buhol ang dalawang iyon. Of course, it’s about press freedom! Dahil broadcasting company ang humingi ng renewal ng franchise," Hontiveros said.
The Senator further said there has been an “injustice” and the issue has yet to be considered resolved.
