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Shutting down major network during COVID-19 pandemic is 'highly irregular': Zubiri

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Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News

MANILA - It is &quot;highly irregular&quot; to shut down a major network during the coronavirus crisis when information dissemination is crucial, a Senate leader said Monday, a day after the government&#x27;s top lawyer threatened National Telecommunications Commission officials with prosecution if they grant ABS-CBN Corp. a provisional authority.The Senate will &quot;remind&quot; the NTC in the coming days &quot;of their commitment to issue provisional authority for ABS-CBN,&quot; Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said when asked for a reaction on Solicitor General Jose Calida&#x27;s claim that the NTC is unauthorized to extend the media network&#x27;s license to operate.&quot;At this point in time, when there is a need for information... If we will shut down a major network, that is highly irregular,&quot; Zubiri told reporters in an online press conference.&quot;Dapat tuloy-tuloy lang ang major networks sa pagbibigay nila ng impormasyon, (Major networks should be allowed to continuously provide information) unless they violated a provision in their franchise,&quot; he said.&quot;If this happened to GMA, TV5, IBC, we will do the same in fighting for your rights to operate,&quot; he said, referring to other major broadcast firms in the Philippines.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/03/20/calida-warns-ntc-against-issuing-provisional-authority-to-abs-cbn-affiliates">Calida warns NTC against issuing provisional authority to ABS-CBN, affiliates</a></li></ul>Calida earlier insisted the NTC &quot;cannot issue a provisional authority when the company has no valid or existing legislative franchise.&quot;ABS-CBN&#x27;s franchise is supposed to expire on May 4, 2020, but the NTC earlier said that all broadcast franchises that would expire &quot;within the quarantine period shall automatically be renewed and shall continue to be valid 60 days after the end of the government-imposed quarantine period.&quot;President Rodrigo Duterte had extended the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and other areas until May 15, 2020.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/03/23/20/ntc-says-broadcast-pay-tv-automatically-renewed-during-luzon-quarantine-period">NTC says broadcast, pay TV automatically renewed during Luzon quarantine period</a></li></ul>&quot;There is no reason why the NTC should not grant a provisional authority to ABS-CBN,&quot; Zubiri said, adding that other media companies have been allowed to operate past the expiration dates of their franchises.&quot;I see no legal impediment for ABS-CBN to continue its operations... As far as I am concerned, [ABS-CBN will] continue operations while waiting for NTC to grant provisional authority,&quot; he said.&quot;Nagpasa na po ng resolution ang Senado. That is very explicit that the House and the Senate approve the giving of provisional authority [for ABS-CBN],&quot; he said, noting that only Congress, and not the Office of the Solicitor General, has the power to grant or revoke franchises.ABS-CBN&#x27;s franchise renewal bid has been pending in Congress since 2014, and the House Committee on Legislative Franchises has yet to act on several bills seeking to give the Philippines&#x27; top media company a fresh 25-year mandate.Calida had also questioned the validity of ABS-CBN&#x27;s franchise before the Supreme Court, arguing that it should be declared null and void for allegedly offering illegal pay-per-view options, and its supposed violation of the foreign ownership clause in the Constitution.ABS-CBN denied the Solicitor General&#x27;s allegations in a Senate investigation in February, and answered the franchise challenge before the high court in March.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/02/24/20/abs-cbn-pdrs-compliant-with-law-as-sec-says-ownership-rules-evolving">ABS-CBN PDRs &#x27;compliant&#x27; with law, as SEC says ownership rules evolving</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/02/24/20/abs-cbns-pay-per-view-kbo-allowed-under-franchise-justice-secretary">ABS-CBN&#x27;s pay-per-view KBO allowed under franchise: justice secretary</a></li></ul>The Supreme Court was supposed to tackle Calida&#x27;s quo warranto petition against ABS-CBN on March 10, 2020, but the hearing was postponed.<div>News.abs-cbn.com is the official news website of ABS-CBN Corp.</div>

It is "highly irregular" to shut down a major network during the coronavirus crisis when information dissemination is crucial, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said Monday, a day after the government's top lawyer threatened National Telecommunications Commission officials with prosecution if they grant ABS-CBN Corp. a provisional authority.

It is "highly irregular" to shut down a major network during the coronavirus crisis when information dissemination is crucial, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said Monday, a day after the government's top lawyer threatened National Telecommunications Commission officials with prosecution if they grant ABS-CBN Corp. a provisional authority.

Shutting down major network during COVID-19 pandemic is 'highly irregular': Zubiri

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Shutting down major network during COVID-19 pandemic is 'highly irregular': Zubiri

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 04, 2020 01:25 PM PHT

Read More:

Migz Zubiri

ABS-CBN franchise

NTC

National Telecommunications Commission

ABS-CBN

Jose Calida

COVID-19

coronavirus crisis

coronavirus disease 2019

ABS-CBN provisional authority to operate

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