Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said that the fate of ABS-CBN and of 11,000 employees who face possible retrenchment in August rested with the Supreme Court, with Congress set to go on a break in six days.
“Ang pwedeng remedyo na lang ay yung kaso sa Korte Suprema. Yung hinihinging TRO ng ABS-CBN,” Drilon said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo on Wednesday.
The broadcasting network asked the Supreme Court for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the May 5 cease-and-desist order issued by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC). The SC gave the NTC 10 days to reply and another five days for ABS-CBN to respond accordingly.
The former justice secretary said ABS-CBN should hope for a speedy intervention from the Supreme Court.
ABS-CBN’s franchise lapsed on May 4 after Congress failed to renew its 25-year license. Its closure was widely criticized as another attempt by the Duterte government to clamp down on the media.
Drilon echoed ABS-CBN President Carlo Katigbak in saying that ABS-CBN workers might end up jobless by August, if the franchise is not acted upon with haste.
“Nobody will be harmed if ABS-CBN is granted a provisional franchise. Walang masasagasaan, walang masasaktan. Ang masasagasaan yung 11,000 employees ng ABS-CBN kung walang provisional franchise,” Drilon said.
Drilon said this as he pushed for the immediate passage of the franchise of ABS-CBN.
“The ball is with the House of Representatives” insofar as the ABS-CBN franchise is concerned. If they do not send us anything, then we cannot debate, consider and pass it,” Drilon said.
“We cannot pass the franchise of ABS-CBN unless the [House] passes its version first. That is in the Constitution. This is a private bill and, therefore, it must originate from the House of Representatives,” he explained.
Drilon said that given the sudden changes in the House, ABS-CBN would have to remain off-the-air for months.
“The reality is, when we adjourn on June 3 and come back on July 27, ABS-CBN cannot go back on the air, because the franchise has not been renewed by Congress,” he said.
If the House can pass the franchise of ABS-CBN in August, the Senate can pass it immediately or by mid-August or end-August at the latest, Drilon said.
“It is not a problem with us. The problem lies with the House of Representatives,” he added. (PressONE.ph)