ABS-CBN franchise bid junked

The House Committee on Legislative Franchises rejected on Friday 11 legislative measures proposing to grant a fresh 25-year legislative franchise for network giant ABS-CBN Corporation.

- BEN R. ROSARIO

The vote, 70 against the franchise bid and 11 in favor, ended ABS-CBN’s bid to return on the air after it stopped operations on May 4, the day its previous 25-year congressional franchise expired.

Chaired by Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez, the House legislative franchise panel arrived at the decision after conducting 12 days of joint hearings with the House Committee on Good Government that tackled issues that hounded the network’s bid to resume operations.

The 85-panel members present – 36 of them ex-officio members being officials of the chamber – voted for the approval or denial of “Resolution Denying the Franchise Application ABS-CBN Corporation to Construct, Install, Establish, Operate and Maintain Radio & Broadcasting Stations in the PH.”

Seventy congressmen upheld the resolution and rejected the franchise bills while the 11 “negative” votes sought to grant the Kapamilya network a new congressional license to operate a broadcast network.

Only one committee member abstained while two decided to inhibit themselves from the voting.

With the vote, Alvarez approved a motion to lay on the table the 11 legislative proposals to allow ABS-CBN to get a franchise.

The 40-page resolution was presented by the technical working group that was formed Thursday to make a recommendation on the voting based on the summations presented for and against the ABS-CBN franchise application.

Deputy Speaker and Cebu Rep. Pablo John Garcia, TWG chairman, and Assistant Majority Leader Xavier Jesus Romualdo of Camiguin approved the resolution denying the grant of franchise while the third TWG member, Assistant Minority Leader Stella Luz Quimbo of Marikina City dissented.