Cayetano Blames NTC, Calida for ABS-CBN Shutdown

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday blamed the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and Solicitor General Jose Calida for the closure of media giant ABS-CBN.

In a Facebook post, Cayetano described NTC’s cease and desist order against ABS-CBN as an ambush, citing the assurances from the commission that it would issue a provisional authority to allow the network to continue its operations beyond its May 4 expiry until Congress makes a decision on its franchise.

“Despite a resolution from the Senate, and several verbal and written assurances given to Congress – the NTC appears to have succumbed to pressure from the Solicitor General, and issued a cease and desist order to ABS-CBN,” he said.

“As for the sudden flip-flopping of the NTC and the unconstitutional meddling by the Solicitor General in the business of Congress, I promise you – there will be a reckoning,” Cayetano added.

He assured that the House of Representatives will do its job on ABS-CBN’s franchise, stressing that it has the exclusive constitutional authority and primary jurisdiction to “grant, deny, extend, revoke, or modify broadcast franchise”.

“So for those asking what Congress will do – the answer is simple – our job. The (House) committee on legislative franchises will conduct hearings in a manner that is consistent with what we have always said. That is – fair, impartial, thorough, and comprehensive,” he said.

“We would have wanted to do this in an orderly manner. But what we want and what we have to deal with are two different things. So this Congress has no choice but to once again rise to the occasion and fix the mess others make,” he added.

Cayetano said as early as the first month of his speakership in July last year that he would tackle the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN, but the country faced bigger threats such as Taal Volcano eruption in January and the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic in February that the chamber had to deal with.

“And while we were on track with some of our priority legislation – including the swift passage of the 2020 budget, the Malasakit Center Act and the creation of the Department of Overseas Filipino Workers, the eruption of Taal Volcano in January necessitated adjustments in the Congressional calendar,” he said.

“This was aggravated by the growing threat of Covid-19, which as early as February 14, I was already mentioning as another urgent matter that Congress would have to immediately deal with,” he added.

During the ensuing March-April congressional recess, he said he, Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, and other House members “worked tirelessly to address the now Covid-19 pandemic.”

“Through a combination of technology and old fashioned hard work, Congress was able to pass the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act to provide assistance to our kababayans affected by the ECQ, and we were able to hold online hearings almost on a daily basis. A groundbreaking practice that is now being copied by other government agencies here, and in other parts of the world,” he said. (PNA)