Dead in the water.
This is the apt description to describe Senator Franklin Drilon’s concurrent senate resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that ABS-CBN Corporation should continue its operation pending the final determination of the renewal of its franchise by the 18th Congress. [GMA News]
FB blogger Noel Landero Sarifa described the atmosphere in the senate hearing yesterday “nagpakapante” or complacent, trying to revised the law instead of interpreting and implementing the law. “Yong nagpakapante na sila sa Senate Hearing, trying to revised the law instead of interpreting and implementing the law.”
Sarifa alerted the public of the interview of The Source with an ex-CJ. “The Source speaks to Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno.”
Sarifa said that ex-CJ Puno explicitly told Pinky Webb of The Source the scenario when ABS-CBN fails to secure an extension of its franchise. “Reynato Puno is a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines pointed out that ABS-CBN cannot operate beyond May 4, 2020. Without a franchise, the television station concerned has to cease operation.”
Puno cited RA 7925 as the basis of his statement. “They cannot operate because that is the decision of the supreme court. By the laws that we have, particularly republic act 7925.”
In the interview, Puno also answered the question whether the NTC can issues a provisional permit to allow ABS-CBN to continue its operation beyond the date of the expiry of its franchise, he said “NO.” “He said that NTC cannot provide a provisional permit since there is a need of a franchise before granting a provisionary permit.”
Puno admitted that in the past, several broadcasting network were allowed to operate despite an expired franchise but ex-CJ said this should not be repeated. “Ilang kumpanya na ang dating pinayagan na dating mag operate kahit paso na ang franchise, tulad ng CBCP and GMA pero ayun kay former Chief justice, hindi na dapat ito maulit dahil nasa batas iyon na kailangan mo ng franchise.”
The moral lesson of the story is that “the law should be implemented not revised.”
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Source: Noel Sarifa
