House panel chair admits helplessness in scheduling ABS-CBN hearing
by Ben RosarioDespite the desire to quickly resolve the ABS-CBN franchise issue, the chairman of the House Committee on Legislative Franchises has admitted that his hands remain tied and could not schedule congressional hearings to decide the fate of the network giant.
As Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez is forced to dilly-dally by not calling for a congressional hearing on eight pending ABS-CBN franchise renewal measures, at least 22 other applications for legislative franchises filed by government agencies and private firms have also absorbed adverse effects triggered by the delay.
Also awaiting committee action is House Bill 410 which seeks to correct alleged constitutional violations in the franchise of the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation (Pagcor).
Lawmakers filed the bill to stop Pagcor from encroaching on the legislature’s constitutional authority to pass legislative franchises.
Responding to queries raised by his House colleagues when he reported at the plenary session on Tuesday, Alvarez admitted that he is still awaiting a go-signal to call for hearing the pending legislative measures proposing a 25-year renewal of the existing legislative franchise granted ABS-CBN.
“I want this issue resolved immediately but there is no go signal yet,” Alvarez was overheard telling two House members.
Last week, Cayetano assured authors of the bill that hearings will be conducted soon, notwithstanding President Duterte’s opposition to the network’s continued operation.
Deputy Minority Leader Carlos Isagani Zarate and Rep. Ferdinandd Gaite, both of Bayan Muna, dared Cayetano and the rest of the majority leadership to be “true to the mandate of an independent co-equal branch of government and call for a hearing on the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN in the first week of February, as announced last January 22.”