Lawmakers seek probe on alleged ABS-CBN violations

THE House committee on legislative franchises junked the franchise bid of ABS-CBN last July 10, but eight lawmakers have continued to file resolutions seeking an investigation into alleged violations by the network.

Cavite 7th District Representative Jesus Crispin Remulla filed House Resolution no. 1015 directing the committee on legislative franchises to investigate Amcara Broadcasting Network Inc.’s alleged violations.

Remulla, in a hearing last July 2, accused the Amcara network of being ABS-CBN’s “dummy” after the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) traced the signal of Amcara network’s channel 43 to ABS-CBN’s tower on Mother Ignacia Street, Quezon City.

Amcara, which owns channel 43, also has a blocktime agreement with ABS-CBN.

The agreement allows ABS-CBN to broadcast on several shows through channel 43.

According to ABS-CBN chairman Carlo Katigbak, a blocktime agreement is common in the broadcasting industry.

“A blocktime arrangement is a standard commercial agreement that is quite common in the broadcasting industry. It’s not just ABS-CBN that enters into a blocktime arrangement,” he said.

Sagip Representative Rodante Marcoleta filed House Resolution 1058 seeking to probe the authenticity of the land title of ABS-CBN’s property along Mother Ignacia Avenue in Quezon City.

He said ABS-CBN has yet to prove that it is the legitimate owner of the land, saying that the network only provided a “poor photocopy” of the land title.

“The certified electronic copy showed that it is an ‘owner’s duplicate copy’ of the title, and not the ‘original certificate copy’ of the title,” the resolution read.

Marcoleta also said the government has the right to file an action for the nullification of the company's land title "if upon a final finding [it] is indeed of dubious origin."

"It may also be inquired that if ABS-CBN's title was indeed for 'provisional reconstitution,' it should explain why said administrative remedy was not even annotated in said owner's duplicate title," he said.

Representatives Claudine Diana Bautista, Paolo Duterte, Eric Yap, Michael Defensor, Jesus Crispin Remulla, Rodante Marcoleta, and Elpido Barzaga Jr. also filed House Resolution 1040 calling for a probe on alleged loan condonation or write-off by the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) for companies controlled by or affiliated with the Lopez family, who are among the owners of ABS-CBN.

The lawmakers said the alleged condoned loans may exceed P1.6 billion, which “otherwise should have accrued to the Philippine government.”

“The impact of the loss of P1.6 billion is further compounded by the urgent need of funding for government programs to address the on-going global pandemic,” they said.

Nueva Ecija Representative Micaela Violago filed a separate resolution seeking an investigation into the Philippine Depository Receipts (PDRs) issued by ABS-CBN to foreigners.

“In the interest of equity, equality and fairness, it is but proper that the other broadcasting companies’ issuance of PDRs to non-Filipinos be also looked into,” Violago said.

She said that during the hearings on the ABS-CBN franchise, one of the issues raised was whether ABS-CBN violated the onstitutional provision requiring 100 percent Filipino ownership and management of mass media when it issued the PDRs to foreigners.

The lawmaker cited Section 11 Article 16 of the Constitution which limits the ownership and management of mass media to Filipinos. (SunStar Philippines)

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