SC to tackle ABS-CBN's urgent return to air plea on July 13

Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/tvpatrol/06/06/20200605-abs-cbn-supporters-md-6.jpg"/><figcaption>ABS-CBN employees and press freedom advocates light candles in front of the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center in Quezon City on June 5, 2020, a month after the network&#x27;s free tv channels and radio stations went off the air due to the expiration of its franchise. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA - The Supreme Court said Thursday it would tackle in July ABS-CBN Corp&#x27;s urgent plea to resume broadcast operations, as the shutdown threatened the jobs of the network&#x27;s 11,000 workers. The court waited for comments from all parties involved in the issue and will deliberate on July 13 on ABS-CBN&#x27;s prayer for a temporary restraining order against the shutdown, Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta said.&quot;The case was set for July 13. When I say July 13, call again for July 13. I don&#x27;t know if the resolution will already be ready,&quot; Peralta said in an online press conference. &quot;We waited for the comments of the House of Representatives, the lower House and upper House and I think we only received the comments last Monday or last Friday pero (but) the member in charge asked for July 13 for deliberation,&quot; he said.By July 13, ABS-CBN would have been off the air for over 2 months.The country&#x27;s top broadcaster earlier said it was losing P30 million to P35 million in advertising revenues daily since the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/05/20/ntc-orders-abs-cbn-to-stop-broadcasting">forced it off air</a> last May 5 over its stalled franchise renewal in Congress. The network&#x27;s franchise expired the day prior. Bills for its renewal have been pending in Congress for years. &quot;If this severe financial hemorrhage is not stopped, ABS-CBN may be constrained to eventually let go of workers, reduce salaries and benefits, and substantially cut down on costs and expenses,&quot; the network said in May, when it urged the court to immediately act on its TRO plea. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/10/20/hindi-kami-makatulog-abs-cbn-workers-union-pleads-with-house-to-expedite-franchise-hearings">ABS-CBN workers union pleads with House to expedite franchise hearings</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/18/20/abs-cbn-urges-supreme-court-to-stop-shutdown-immediately-protect-11000-workers">ABS-CBN urges Supreme Court to stop shutdown immediately, protect 11,000 workers </a></li></ul>The NTC, under oath, earlier told lawmakers that it would let the 65-year-old network operate provisionally beyond the May 4 expiration of its franchise, while lawmakers deliberate on bills that sought to renew its license. The commission issued a cease-and-desist order against ABS-CBN after Solicitor General Jose Calida warned NTC officials that they could face graft charges if they issue a provisional license.The broadcaster has repeatedly said in various fora that it did not violate the law.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/05/26/20/abs-cbn-makes-case-for-franchise-protect-jobs-keep-public-service-going">ABS-CBN makes case for franchise: Protect jobs, keep public service going</a></li></ul>Peralta declined to comment on what&#x27;s keeping the high court from acting immediately on an urgent TRO plea.&quot;I&#x27;m sorry, baka magagalit sa akin mga members,&quot; he said.(The other members might get mad at me.) <div>OTHER PETITIONS</div>The Supreme Court en banc is set to tackle another plea seeking to bring ABS-CBN back on the airwaves, said Peralta. Lawyer Paris Real filed on Friday a separate petition that urged the Supreme Court to issue a TRO against NTC&#x27;s allegedly &quot;void&quot; closure order that deprived ABS-CBN of its right to be notified and give its side. The halt order was issued before the network was told to explain alleged franchise violations through a show-cause order, he said. Real also asked the Supreme Court to <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/06/20/lawyer-asks-sc-define-solgens-powers-amid-abs-cbn-shutdown-issue">define the powers of Calida&#x27;s office</a>. Aside from advising the NTC, Calida in February also asked the Supreme Court to nullify the franchise of ABS-CBN and its subsidiary ABS-CBN Convergence Inc. Another plea seeking to block the NTC from issuing provisional authority to ABS-CBN was denied by the high court on June 2 for lack of legal standing by petitioner lawyer Lorenzo Gadon.SC <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/02/20/supreme-court-junks-gadons-plea-vs-issuance-of-provisional-permit-to-abs-cbn">reminded Gadon to be more &quot;circumspect&quot;</a> in filing cases, saying &quot;he will benefit more from restraint and huge dose of humility.&quot; Gadon had claimed on social media that ABS-CBN&#x27;s TRO plea was junked, which the Supreme Court denied. <div>News.abs-cbn.com is the official news website of ABS-CBN Corp.</div>

The Supreme Court said Thursday it would tackle in July ABS-CBN Corp's urgent plea to resume broadcast operations, as the shutdown threatened the jobs of the network's 11,000 workers.

The Supreme Court said Thursday it would tackle in July ABS-CBN Corp's urgent plea to resume broadcast operations, as the shutdown threatened the jobs of the network's 11,000 workers.

SC to tackle ABS-CBN's urgent return to air plea on July 13 | ABS-CBN

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SC to tackle ABS-CBN's urgent return to air plea on July 13

SC to tackle ABS-CBN's urgent return to air plea on July 13

Mike Navallo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 11, 2020 10:54 AM PHT

|

Updated Jun 11, 2020 01:48 PM PHT

Read More:

ABS-CBN franchise

ABS-CBN franchise renewal

ABS-CBN shutdown

ABS-CBN cease and desist

NTC order ABS-CBN shutdown

ABS-CBN franchise expires

ABS-CBN closure

ABS-CBN House of Representatives

ABS-CBN NTC

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