Charles Teves
Atty. Larry Gadon over the weekend requested 9 senators to inhibit themselves from deliberating and voting on bills regarding ABS-CBN’s legislative franchise.
One of the senators was Senate President Vicente Sotto III who told reporters on Monday that he has no financial interests in the media giant’s business ventures.
“I am not financially interested in the business of ABS-CBN. I am not a stockholder. I am part of the Congress that is mandated by the Constitution to grant franchises. I cannot shirk from my sworn duty.
“Besides, I suggest you listen to my interpellations before judging me,” he added.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon added that Gadon’s request has “absolutely no basis.”
“We are a political body. Inhibition is a personal decision of each senator. No one can impose it, not even the (Supreme Court),” Drilon said.
“We can only be disciplined, if there are ethical issues involved in our participation in the ABS-CBN franchise, by the Senate, and no one else. We are answerable only to the Senate and the people,” he added.
May 19 is the official date for the Senate public services committee to hold hearings on Senate Bill 981 which ABS-CBN hopes will pass to have another 25 years of operation. Senate Bill 1521 will also be taken up to grant the network a temporary franchise valid until the end of June 2022.
Gadon’s reported trip to the senate was uploaded on YouTube saying that the nine senators should inhibit themselves “sapagkat meron na silang prejudgement.
“Hindi na nila inintindi kung merong violations. Basta sa kanila ay binibigyan agad ng provisional authority,” Gadon said.
Gadon also went off on Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.
“Hindi naman pala nag aapply ang ABS-CBN Corporation ng prangkisa pero kusa niyang [Cayetano] binibigay.
“Tapos sinasabi niya na maraming violations ang ABS-CBN kaya bibigyan muna ng provisional authority. Anong klaseng kabobohan yan?!” Gadon said.
Gadon pointed out how Cayetano ignored previous bills concerning the pandemic and the country’s frontliners that would have been essential but instead focused on the private bill regarding ABS-CBN’s franchise which the network never asked for in the first place.
“Halatang hatala binebenta talaga tayo ni Alan Cayetano. Dapat palitan na yang Cayetano na yan eh!
“Hindi dapat naging speaker yan!
“Kasi unang una dilawan yan, kaya kayong nga DDS naloko kayo. Malaking kamalian na sinuportahan niyo yan si Alan Cayetano,” he added.
