Renewal of CBCP, TV5 Franchises Lapse into Law

The bills renewing the broadcast franchises of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and TV-5 network for another 25 years have lapsed into law.

President Rodrigo Duterte allowed the two measures to lapse on April 22 without his signature.

However, copies of the franchise of CBCP (R.A. No. 11319) and TV-5 (R.A. 11320) were released to media on Thursday (July 18).

Under the laws, the franchises of CBCP and TV-5 will be revoked if they fail to operate continuously for two years.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo compared allowing the franchises of CBCP and TV-5 to lapse into law as Duterte’s way of effectively signing the law anyway.

“Kung pina-lapse niya, ibig sabihin, okay sa kanya. That means effectively parang pinirmahan niya rin yun (If he allowed it to lapse into law, that means it’s okay with him. That means effectively, it’s like he signed it too),” Panelo said in a Palace briefing on Thursday.

On Thursday, Malacañang also released copy of RA 11329 or an act establishing additional campus of Bulacan State University (BCU) in San Rafael, Bulacan.

To date, BCU has five campuses including its seven-hectare main campus in Malolos. Others are the Bustos campus in Bustos, Sarmiento campus in San Jose Del Monte, Meneses campus in Bulakan, and Hagonoy campus in Hagonoy.

Duterte signed the Bulacan State University-San Rafael Campus Act on April 22, 2019. (PNA)