Senate panel kicks off hearings on ABS-CBN franchise

The Senate committee on public services on Monday, Feb. 24, began its hearings on ABSCBN’s franchise. This was despite the fact the House has yet to conduct hearings on the matter. /Meanne Corvera/Eagle News/

(Eagle News)–The Senate committee on public services on Monday, Feb. 24, kicked off its hearings on ABS-CBN’s franchise, which is set to expire on March 30.

The panel led by Senator Grace Poe began the hearings even if the House of Representatives has yet to start its own hearings on the same.

The House has slammed the Senate’s move as “unconstitutional,” but  at least two senators have argued the Senate could conduct the hearings.

Senator Sonny Angara and Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said it has long been the practice of the Senate to start hearings even before the House acts on bills and transmits them to the Upper House for concurrence.

Present during the hearing were Carlo Katigbak, ABS-CBN president and chief executive officer; Mark Lopez, ABS-CBN chair; Cory Vidanes, ABS-CBN chief operating officer for broadcast; and Maxim Uy of the network’s legal unit.

Also present were Mark Nepomuceno; Ron Valdueza, chief finance officer; Mario Bautista, ABS-CBN General Counsel; and Enrique Quiason, ABS-CBN corporate secretary.

President Rodrigo Duterte has opposed a renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise.

He said the network did not air his political advertisement for the 2016 elections even if he had paid the required amount.

The Office of the Solicitor General has also accused ABS-CBN of violating its franchise terms when it offered pay-per-view services on what was supposed to be a free-to-air channel, and when it supposedly violated the constitutional restriction on foreign ownership of mass media when it issued Philippine Depositary Receipts to foreigners.

The quo warranto petition filed by the OSG is pending before the Supreme Court.