‘The end is near:’ ABS-CBN motivated by greed, desire for power and influence – Calida

By JOHN CARLO M. CAHINHINAN

Solicitor General Jose Calida finally broke his silence over issue on whether or not Congress should grant a new congressional franchise to embattled broadcast giant ABS-CBN.

In his presentation during Monday’s joint congressional inquiry of the House committee on legislative franchises and of good government and public accountability, Calida has accused the Kapamilya network of “deceiving the Filipino people” and “the time has come to expose” the network’s owners and corporate officers “continue to deceive the Filipino people into believing that they are In the service of the Filipino.”

“ABS-CBN is motivated not by service but by greed and a desire for power and influence. Their brazen acts must come to an end. The hour of reckoning may have been delayed, but it has now come,” Calida told members of the joint congressional panel via Zoom teleconference.

“And now the end is near,” Calida added, quoting the intro of late American singer Frank Sinatra’s famous song, “My way.”

But Calida told the panel that he will not answer matters in connection with merits of pending cases before the Supreme Court—the Quo Warranto case filed by the Office of the Solicitor General against the previous legislative franchise of ABS-CBN; and the Kapamilya network’s motion for certiorari and prohibition against the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

“Some of the issue involved in these cases pertain to ABS-CBN’s violations of the Constitution and its franchise, which according to your letter, are the subject of your current of your current inquiry,” Calida told the joint House panel.

“Pinagbawalan akong magsalita ukol sa kahit ano mang bagay na may kinalaman sa mga petisyong nakahain ngayon sa Korte Suprema,” he added.

According to Calida, the NTC can’t issue a provisional authority to operate to the Kapamilya network since a legislative franchise for television and radio must be a law.

“A franchise for broadcast must specifically be in the form of a statute,” said Calida.

Calida maintained that the Lopez-owned media conglomerate “violated” the scope of its previous legislative franchise under Republic Act No. 7966, when it allowed its sister outfit—ABS-CBN Convergence—to make use and abuse the legislative franchise granted to its parent firm, ABS-CBN Corporation, the fact that the former has no legal authority to broadcast under its own franchise through RA 8332.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)