MISTULANG umiiwas si Speaker Lord Allan Velasco sa isyu ng prangkisa ng ABS-CBN matapos nitong ipaubaya ang kapalaran ng nasabing network sa susunod na Kongreso.

“Based on my understanding from the House leadership, the ABS-CBN franchise issue is best left to the next Congress,” ani House committee on legislative franchises chairman Franz Alvarez ng Palawan.

Ginawa ng mambabatas ang nasabing pahayag matapos igiit ni Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor sa sesyon ng Kamara noong Miyerkoles na tapusin muna ang mga unfinished business tulad ng prangkisa ng ABS-CBN bago talakayin ang mga bagong order of business ng Kapulungan.

Ang tinutukoy ni Defensor ay ang report ng nasabing komite ukol sa pagbasura sa franchise application ng nasabing network noong Hulyo 10, 2020 sa pamamagitan ng botong 70-11.

“We either affirm the committee report and do away with that unfinished business before we continue with the other business of the day that we are considering in the plenary,” ani Defensor.
Matapos mamagitan si Senior Deputy Majority Leader Jesus Crispin Remulla, nagpasya ang Kamara na talakayin ang nasabing isyu sa susunod na linggo.

Subalit ayon kay Alvarez, hindi na kailangang pagbotohan sa plenaryo ang House Bill 6732, dahil wala umanong bumaligtad sa 70 congressmen na bumoto ng pabor sa pagbasura sa franchise application ng ABS-CBN.

“Under the rules, anyone of the 70 House members who voted against the franchise application could file a motion for reconsideration on behalf of ABS-CBN to challenge the decision of the
Committee. Unfortunately, there was none, thus the Committee decision has become final,” ani Alvarez.

“The subject matter of the unfinished business in the plenary is House Bill 6732, which seeks to grant ABS-CBN a provisional franchise effective until October 31, 2020. Obviously, this is already moot and academic,” dagdag pa ni Alvarez. (BERNARD TAGUINOD)