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Congressional action on ABS-CBN franchise renewal is only legal move: Palace

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Arianne Merez, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/02/12/20200211-abscbn-broadcasting-center-1549.jpg"/><figcaption>ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center, Sgt. Esguerra, Diliman, Quezon City, Feb. 11, 2020. Gigie Cruz, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA - Congressional action on the renewal of ABS-CBN&#x27;s franchise is the &quot;only move&quot; allowed under the law, Malacañang said Thursday after the House of Representatives swiftly tackled a bill granting the media giant broadcast license until October this year.The House of Representatives Committee of the Whole on Wednesday approved on second reading a bill that gives ABS-CBN interim license to operate until Oct. 31, 2020. House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, among the bill&#x27;s authors, said the short-term license would allow Congress to focus on urgent coronavirus response and give it time to thoroughly tackle issues surrounding the network&#x27;s franchise renewal bid. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/13/20/provisional-franchise-for-abs-cbn-will-shield-network-from-political-pressure-cayetano">Provisional franchise for ABS-CBN will shield network from political pressure: Cayetano</a></li></ul>&quot;It&#x27;s not only the best move, it&#x27;s the only move under the Constitution,&quot; Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in a Palace press briefing.&quot;It&#x27;s very clear po na tanging ang Kongreso lang po ang puwedeng mag-grant ng franchise or mag-revoke ng franchise for broadcast companies,&quot; he added.(It&#x27;s very clear that only Congress can grant or revoke a franchise for broadcast companies.)Under the law, franchise bills must emanate from the House of Representatives.House Bill No. 6732 grants the Lopez-led network an interim license to operate before Congress deliberates on long-pending bills giving ABS-CBN a license to broadcast for another 25 years. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/13/20/speaker-cayetano-files-bill-giving-abs-cbn-provisional-franchise-until-october">House Committee of the Whole OKs on 2nd reading HB6732 giving ABS-CBN provisional franchise until October</a></li></ul>ABS-CBN on May 5 stopped broadcasting in compliance with the &quot;cease and desist&quot; order of the National Telecommunications Commission. The company&#x27;s franchise expired on May 4.Roque reiterated that it would be unlikely for President Rodrigo Duterte to veto the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN if it reaches the chief executive&#x27;s table.&quot;Inaasahan ko naman po na kung wala pong constitutional infirmity eh pipirmahan naman po ito ng Presidente,&quot; Roque said.(I expect that if there is no constitutional infirmity then the President would sign it.)<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/13/20/palace-unlikely-for-duterte-to-reject-temporary-franchise-for-abs-cbn">Palace: Unlikely for Duterte to reject temporary franchise for ABS-CBN</a></li></ul>President Duterte had previously threatened to block the renewal of ABS-CBN&#x27;s broadcast license over unaired political advertisements during the 2016 elections.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/24/20/abs-cbn-chief-says-all-duterte-national-pol-ads-aired">ABS-CBN chief says all Duterte national pol ads aired</a></li></ul>On Dec. 30, 2019, the President urged the owners of ABS-CBN to just sell the company.While Duterte in February accepted ABS-CBN&#x27;s apology over the issue of his unaired advertisements, he clarified that he would leave the fate of the company&#x27;s franchise to Congress, which is dominated by his allies.Roque said the President remains &quot;neutral&quot; on the franchise issue of ABS-CBN.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/13/20/senators-eye-passing-abs-cbns-provisional-license-before-session-adjourns-in-june">Senators eye passing ABS-CBN&#x27;s provisional license before session adjourns in June</a></li></ul>News.abs-cbn.com is the official news website of ABS-CBN Corp.

Under the law, franchise bills must emanate from the House of Representatives.

Congressional action on ABS-CBN franchise renewal is only legal move: Palace

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Congressional action on ABS-CBN franchise renewal is only legal move: Palace

Arianne Merez,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 14, 2020 02:16 PM PHT

Read More:

ABS-CBN

ABS-CBN franchise

Rodrigo Duterte

Duterte franchise

Malacañang

Kapamilya network

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