The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) is studying the possibility of filing a motion for reconsideration after the Supreme Court (SC) dismissed its controversial quo warranto petition against ABS-CBN.
The OSG stated that the filing of such motion will only be done “if necessary, given the constitutional issue on foreign ownership” it had raised in the petition once it obtains a copy of the recent SC decision.
The SC, earlier this week, junked the OSG petition that aimed for the forfeiture of ABS-CBN’s franchise over alleged “highly abusive practices,” such as the network’s operation of a pay-per-view channel without securing a permit from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).
The broadcast giant’s franchise expired last May, forcing the highest court to dismiss the controversial case while the petition against ABS-CBN Convergence remains active. The latter’s franchise had already expired last March.
The quo warranto case is different from the petition filed by ABS-CBN questioning the cease and desist order (CDO) from the NTC that forced the network to go offline, including several radio and television stations the day after its franchise ended.
Meanwhile, ABS-CBN’s petition remains pending, including the network’s request for a temporary restraining order against NTC’s order.
“In the absence of a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court, the CDO of the NTC remains valid and ABS-CBN’s television and radio broadcasting stations nationwide must remain off air,” the OSG said. (RJ Espartinez)