Charles Teves
The filing of three new House resolutions related to ABS-CBN is seen as overkill by ACT-Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro.
The resolutions seek more investigations on alleged violations committed by ABS-CBN.
“Personalan na ito talaga at overkill na ang ginawa sa ABS-CBN. Lugmok na nga eh, talagang tinanggalan na nga ng prangkisa, lugmok na lugmok na. Tapos ganito pa (What they’re doing against ABS-CBN is overkill, they’re making it personal. The network is down, it has been stripped of its franchise, it’s really down. And now this),” Castro said during a virtual press conference of the Makabayan bloc.
“Open naman ang Makabayan bloc na tignan ang mga resolution na ito. Gusto ko lang sabihin din na overkill na ang ginagawa ninyo sa ABS-CBN (The Makabayan bloc is open to looking into these resolutions. I just want to say that what you’re doing to ABS-CBN is overkill),” she said.
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issued ABS-CBN a cease and desist order last May 5, forcing the network to shut down.
The House Committees on Legislative Franchises and on Good Government and Public Accountability held 12 hearings on the network’s franchise renewal, ultimately denying it a new congressional franchise.
“So titignan naman natin, kasi lahat naman in aid of legislation eh. Tignan natin kung mayroong justification ‘yung mga sinasabi nila at anong batas ‘yung gusto nilang isulong sa pag-iimbestiga ng property, nung utang, at tsaka noong Amcara (So we will look at these, since they are all in aid of legislation. Let’s see what their justifications are as well as the laws that they are pursuing in the proposed investigation on ABS-CBN’s property, loan, and on Amcara),” Castro said.
House Deputy Majority Leader and Cavite Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla’s HR No.1015 seeks to investigate the block time agreement between ABS-CBN and Amcara Broadcasting Network Inc. Amcara allegedly aired ABS-CBN programs even when the latter’s franchise had already expired.
House Deputy Speaker and SAGIP party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta filed HR No. 1058 seeking answers on the authenticity of the land title of ABS-CBN’s property on Mother Ignacia Ave., Quezon City.
Meanwhile HR No. 1040, which is authored by Remulla, Marcoleta, presidential son Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, DUMPER PTDA party list Rep. Claudine Diana Bautista, ACT-CIS Rep. Eric Yap, Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor, and Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr., seeks to investigate the loans condoned by DBP to ABS-CBN with the amount of P1.6 billion and whether the Lopez family benefited from this.
