Solicitor General Wants SC To Cancel ABS-CBN’s Franchise
ABS-CBN – Solicitor General Jose Calida asked the Supreme Court to cancel the franchise of the country’s leading broadcast network, ABS-CBN.
Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte repeatedly accused the ABS-CBN network of refusing to air his 2016 election campaign ads. Lots of people including celebrities like Robin Padilla, Sharon Cuneta, and Lea Salonga urged the lawmakers to renew the tv network’s franchise.
The Davaoeño president previously told the executives to just sell the company. In a previous article, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said there is enough time for the House to tackle the network’s franchise issue.
Alan Peter Cayetano also promised that the House of Representatives will be fair in considering ABS-CBN’s application. “I’ll just reiterate that we have committed to the Filipino people that we will have fair hearings, that we will hear the issues and also hear the replies, and we cannot promise you any decision until we finish the hearings, to be fair with everyone,” he said.
Based on a report from ABS-CBN, Solicitor General Jose Calida asked the Supreme Court to revoke ABS-CBN’s franchise on Monday morning, February 10. He claimed that the network engages in “highly abusive practices” that went against the government.
“We want to put an end to what we discovered to be highly abusive practices of ABS-CBN benefiting a greedy few at the expense of millions of its loyal subscribers…”
“These practices have gone unnoticed or were disregarded for years,” Calida said.
According to the report, Jose Calida alleged that the tv network used an “elaborately crafted corporate veil” to supposedly let foreigners own and control the network. Calida also said the network also went “beyond the scope of its legislative franchise for broadcasting for a fee.”
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