Solon Wants Probe vs ABS-CBN Alleged Violations to Reopen
A solon is seeking the reopening of a congressional investigation to find out if ABS-CBN has been following the law.
Elpidio Barzaga Jr., a representative for Cavite’s 4th District, stated that the inquiry into the alleged infractions of media giant begun during the 18th Congress needs to be renewed. Additionally, Barzaga seeks to ascertain whether the corporation had remedied the legal infringements and other infractions that resulted in the denial of its legislative franchise in 2020.
Barzaga, vice chair of the House of Representatives committee on legislative franchises, made this statement in light of the network’s content distribution deals with cable networks, specifically Discovery Asia and Asian Food Network. Congress should investigate whether ABS-CBN is currently “following the law” or has been breaking it, the legislator argued.
“These legal and constitutional issues include the possible violations committed by ABS-CBN on the constitutional limits on foreign ownership, its reported violations of labor and tax laws and other violations of its previous franchise,” Barzaga said in his statement.
“We have to find out if ABS-CBN has been following the law or continuing to violate or circumvent it,” he added.
It can be recalled the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise in 2020 was rejected by Congress by a vote of 70-11, which “cost the jobs of about 6,730 regular employees, 900 non-regular workers, and more than 3,325 talents.” Nevertheless, ABS-CBN persisted by streaming its programs on social media and was able to return to free TV thanks to blocktime agreements with Zoe Broadcasting Network and TV5.
In August 2022, ABS-CBN and TV5 signed a historic cooperation agreement under which the former would pay P2.16 billion for 6.46 million primary common shares, or 34.99% of TV5’s capital and voting stock. However, this was abandoned after the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and lawmakers “mutually decided to terminate the Sale and Purchase Agreement” to address their concerns.
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