By Queen Natalie Tuason

THE recent public spectacle made by our highly-respected Solicitor General Jose Calida involving the quo warranto petition challenging the validity of ABS-CBN’s franchise makes me wonder whether such writ is the only remedy available to this government in every controversy it faces. Not so long ago, a constitutionally-mandated impeachable officer, in the name of former Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, was removed from office by virtue of a quo warranto, filed by the same solicitor general. It is as if, quo warranto, which translates to “by what warrant,” is the only petition known to, and can be used by his office. If the said mass media outfit, indeed, committed acts in violation to the terms of its franchise, is it really proper to question this through a quo warranto proceeding? Why not just file a petition for the cancellation of its franchise? Is this because the solicitor general had already the luck of winning a quo warranto case that he wants to try his luck yet again? With how the Supreme Court decided in the case of former Chief Justice Sereno, where it justified the appropriateness of the quo warranto? I can only imagine how this case will like turn out.