Bohol Chronicle Radio Corp. has denied an ABS-CBN report that it has existed for more than 50 years and that Sagip party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta was a main author of its franchise bill that was passed into law last year.
A lawyer for the provincial broadcaster, Jay Dejaresco, wrote ABS-CBN saying “The Bohol Chronicle Radio Corp has been in existence for only twenty nine years—not fifty years— having been registered by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) only on January 29, 1991.”
Dejaresco said Marcoleta was a co-author of House Bill (HB) 06431 that sought to grant the company a franchise, and that the measure had 22 authors.
“We are thankful to all co-authors of the HB that ultimately became the corporation’s legislative franchise. We thus take exception to your misleading news item which slanted that it was Rep. Marcoleta who solely authored our bill (“co-authored” is the accurate term),” the letter read.
Marcoleta is among pro-administration lawmakers seeking to foil ABS-CBN’s bid to get a new franchise.
The top media network’s report implied that Marcoleta was accusing ABS-CBN of practices that he had condoned for franchise applicants in the past.
Marcoleta argues that broadcast entities that had operated franchises for 50 years were not entitled to a new franchise under Section 11 Article XII of the 1987 Constitution, a position disputed by ABS-CBN and other lawmakers, such as Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman.
Dejaresco also said “ABS-CBN’s false news item ascribing that the Bohol Chronicle Radio Corp. had been registered or in existence since 1966, is injurious as it imputes that Bohol Chronicle Radio Corp violated Section 11 of the Batas Pambansa No. 68 (the governing Corporation Code then) which granted all corporations a term limit not exceeding fifty (50) years.”
“Considering that ABS-CBN’s application for a congressional franchise is being heard and investigated by the House of Representatives, the Bohol Chronicle and Radio Corporation does not wish to be included and dragged into whatever public retorts ABS CBN may make pertaining to said investigation,” he added. John Ezekiel J. Hirro