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All sides should be heard in ABS-CBN franchise renewal issue - Villafuerte

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<div><script src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v2.5" async="" type="text/javascript"></script></div><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2669783229800354" data-width="auto"> </div>MANILA - Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte on Wednesday assured that due process will be given to all parties once the House Committee on Legislative Franchises starts hearing the ABS-CBN franchise issue.&quot;Importante at this point, ABS and other sectors should be given due process. Can we settle due process within 9 days? That will be decided when we start the hearing. Kung mabitin, we will decide. Do we give a provisional franchise or not? Puwede, possible &#x27;yan but I cannot speak for the franchise committee. I cannot speak for other members,&quot; he said.On ANC&#x27;s Headstart via Zoom, Villafuerte said a provisional franchise for ABS-CBN is possible given that Congress has only about nine session days to go or until June 3 before it goes on a break, but it has to be decided on by the majority.&quot;We are open and considering all proposals whether a provisional, whether to hear and just give 25 [years]. We want to make it clear the franchise is really a privilege, not a right. When we hear it, it doesn&#x27;t automatically mean that it would be approved on a period of time,&quot; he said.He added, &quot;Options: It can be approved, it can be denied, it can be given provisional franchise up to 2022...longer, shorter…all of that is in the table. We’ve been discussing that for the past few days.&quot;Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano earlier said that it was &quot;absolutely necessary&quot; for Congress to hear the network&#x27;s franchise issue but it would not mean an automatic renewal. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/12/20/speaker-cayetano-time-to-hear-abs-cbn-franchise-bills-but-no-automatic-renewal">Speaker Cayetano: Time to hear ABS-CBN franchise bills, but no automatic renewal</a></li></ul>Villafuerte said Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez, chair of the House Committee on Legislative Franchises, has to decide on date of the hearing.&quot;I cannot preempt, but maybe next week is a good time. Is it a new franchise, renewal ba? Do we hear NTC first? Sino ba uunahin namin to speak? It&#x27;s really a contentious issue we will not be swayed by pressures from all around. We will do what is right,&quot; Villafuerte said.Villafuerte said the hearings will tackle labor, tax issues against the Kapamilya network and also shed light on the question of citizenship of its chairman emeritus, Gabby Lopez.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/11/20/abs-cbn-reiterates-gabby-lopez-is-a-filipino-citizen">ABS-CBN reiterates: Gabby Lopez is a Filipino citizen</a></li></ul>&quot;Maraming issues that have to be resolved and for once, this has to be resolved para whatever decisions Congress will make wala nang divisiveness, narinig na lahat,&quot; he said.He also added that they wanted the network to still be on air while they hear its franchise issue. However, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has acted against this by issuing a cease and desist order on May 5, a day after the network&#x27;s franchise expired.&quot;I think the franchise committee has issued a show cause order to the NTC. They have to explain. They cannot lie in Congress. They cannot lie in the Senate. They assured us that they will issue a temporary permit to operate and were also surprised when they issued a cease and desist,&quot; he said.Villafuerte said NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba can be charged for contempt and perjury for his actions.&quot;On a hearing, under oath, he said that he will issue. Dapat hindi siya makawala, he is a government official. He cannot be making statements under oath in hearings not only in Congress but in the Senate, then not follow it. I think he has to answer that,&quot; he said.ABS-CBN has asked the <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/11/20/abs-cbn-plea-vs-ntc-order-raffled-to-supreme-court-magistrate-spox" target="_blank">Supreme Court</a> to stop the NTC shutdown order, but Villafuerte said the network should not have halted operations while it applied for a temporary restraining order before the High Court.&quot;For me, puwede naman silang hindi muna nag-stop and then nag-file ng TRO. If I was ABS, I’m not telling them to disobey the law, they voluntarily stopped operations then filed a TRO before the Supreme Court. I think they should file a TRO and still continue to operate, that’s just my opinion,&quot; he said.

MANILA - Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte on Wednesday assured that due process will be given to all parties once the House Committee on Legislative Franchises starts hearing the ABS-CBN franchise issue before they go on a break.

MANILA - Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte on Wednesday assured that due process will be given to all parties once the House Committee on Legislative Franchises starts hearing the ABS-CBN franchise issue before they go on a break.