Binanatan ng abogado ng Volunteer Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) ang tinawag niyang “obvious conspiracy” ng ABS-CBN Corporation para makalusot pabalik ang prangkisa nito nang walang approval ng Kongreso, sa pamamagitan ng pasikot-sikot sa tulong ng mga kaibigan at kaalyado sa Senado at Kamara.
Ginawa ni Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, chief legal counsel ng VACC, ang pahayag kasabay ng apela sa liderato ng Senado na irekonsidera ang pag-apruba sa ikatlong pagbasa kamakailan sa kontrobersyal na Senate Bill No. 1530 na inakda ni opposition Senator Franklin Drilon at sa halip ay ibalik ang panukala sa tamang komite para karagdagang hearings na may partisipasyon ng mga apektadong stakeholders sa media industry.
May counterpart measure din ito sa Kamara, ang House Bill No. 7923, na inihain ni Parañaque Rep. Joy Tambunting.
Sinabi ni Topacio na ang Senate Bill No. 1530 at House Bill No. 7923, ay kapwa humihiling na amyendahan ang Section 18, Book VII, Chapter 3 ng Executive Order 292, na nagsasaad na “the franchise or license that needs a congressional grant will not expire as long as the franchise or license holder makes timely and sufficient application for the renewal of a license or franchise xxx until the application shall have been finally determined by the xxx branch of government that grants or renews such xxx franchise.”
Inihain ni Drilon ang Senate Bill No. 1530 noong May 13, 2020.
Sinabi ni Topacio na sa kaparehong araw, May 13, 2020, na may “identical wording”, inihain din ni Tambunting ang HB 7923. Nabatid na si Tambunting ay producer sa ABS-CBN simula 1988 hanggang sa huling bahagi ng 90s, at na-assign pata pangasiwaan ang ilang top-rated entertainment content sa nasabing network.
“The ‘conspiracy’ is obvious from the synchronicity of the filing and the identity of the words of the proposed law, one from the Senate and another from the House,” ani Topacio, na siya ring national chairman ng Citizens Crime Watch.
“Although general in its application, it is quite clear that the proposed legislation is aimed at reinstating or revivifying the franchise of ABS-CBN and Amcara Broadcasting Network, whose franchises have expired and which have been the subject of cease-and-desist order from the National Telecommunications Commission,” sabi pa ni Topacio, kasabay ng pagsasabing noong nakaraang taon ay inakusahan ni Cavite Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla ang Amcara bilang “dummy” ng ABS-CBN.
Sa congressional hearings para sa renewal ng franchise ng ABS-CBN, sinabi ni Topacio na ang mga mambabatas na sumusuporta sa istasyon ay paulit-ulit na iginiit na dapat payagang magpatuloy ang operasyon ng ABS-CBN habang tinatalakay ang isyu ng renewal nito, kahit lagpas-lagpasan ang expiration nito gaya ng nakasaad sa batas.
Ito ang kaparehong probisyon na nakita sa proposed amendment sa batas na inakda nina Drilon at Tambunting, ayon kay Topacio, kasabay ng paggiit na “said legal position is untenable, as argued by those who opposed the said contention, because of the doctrine of “no franchise, no operation” enunciated in the leading case of Associated Communications v. NTC, decided in 2003 and penned by then Chief Justice Reynato Puno, and that the NTC cannot issue a license for any media outfit to operate without an approved legislative franchise.”
Sa katunayan, binigyan diin ng abogado na noong nakaraang taon lamang, ay pinagtibay ng Supreme Court ang cease-and-desist order ng NTC sa ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation ay hindi grave abuse of discretion.
Ayon pa kay Topacio, layunin ng naturang Senate at House Bills na makamit ang “holdover franchise” upang magpatuloy pa ang entity hangga’t hindi pa inaaprubahan ang kanilang renewal, o habang tinatalakay pa ng Kongreso ang kuwestiyon sa kanilang renewal.
“This is wrong on so many levels,” aniya, kasabay ng paliwanag na “first, a franchise is granted only by Congress, and the law granting such a franchise shows definite dates as to when the privilege start and when it ends.”
Inihalintulad ni Topacio ang sitwasyon sa expired passport, kung saan hindi maaring mag-apply ng bagong pasaporte bago mag-expire ang luma, at kapag expire na ay hindi na ito papayagang bumiyahe dahil kailangan nitong mag-apply ng panibago.
“Then there is vagueness in the wordings of the law. What is meant by the phrase “timely and sufficient” application? When is the application timely? One year before expiration, six months? And what does “sufficient” mean? In form only, or in substance? The law does not say. And there is such a principle in Constitutional law as “void for vagueness”. And how can such sufficiency be determined except after Congress has deliberated? The main premise is egregious in the extreme. Verily, there is no set standards provided for in the law, including – and this is crucial – how long the “holdover” shall last. This in itself is objectionable for lack of definition,” aniya.
Kinuwestiyon ni Topacio ang ethics at propriety, sa pagsasabing “it is execrable that lawmakers are compelled to craft laws, not for the general welfare, but to transparently favor certain vested interests whose welfare may not dovetail with that of the public that the lawmakers have sworn to serve.”
Pebrero noong nakaraang taon nang ihayag ni Speaker Lord Allan Velasco na ang mga panawagan na i-revive ang franchise ng ABS-CBN klay kailangang maghintay ng susunod na Congress, dahil ang natitirang panahon nila ay inilaan para sa priority measures ng Duterte administration dahil kakaunti na lang ang panahon bago ang 2022 elections.
