NAGBABALA si House committee on public accounts chairman at AnaKalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor sa mga opisyal ng gobyerno na hindi palalagpasin ng Kamara de Representantes ang pagsisinungaling at panloloko sa pagdinig nito.
Ayon kay Defensor ang babalang ito ay hindi lamang para sa mga opisyal ng National Telecommunications Commission at Office of the Solicitor General kundi sa pangkalahatan.
“Today we serve fair warning to those public officials who think they can come to the House of the People to lie and deceive with impunity. Know this – we will not stand for it and your actions will have serious consequences. For when you lie to us, you lie to the whole nation. When you try to deceive us, you are deceiving the Filipino people,” ani Defensor na inihain kahapon ang House Resolution 846.
Sa panahon na abala ang Kongreso sa paggawa ng mga hakbang sa paglaban sa coronavirus disease 2019, nagulantang ang Kamara de Representantes sa pagtalikod ng NTC sa pahayag nito na hahayaang mag-operate ang ABS-CBN habang dinidinig pa ang aplikasyon nito para ma-renew ang prangkisa.
“No, this is not simply about people who lied and conspired to deceive, not just Congress but the entire government – for their own political ends. This is a conspiracy of the lowest and most despicable kind – one that was perpetrated on the nation during a time of crisis. When Filipinos are dying and in desperate need of assistance.”
Naghain ng resolusyon si Defensor upang makapagsagawa ng imbestigasyon at maimbestigahan ang mga NTC at OSG officials na maaaring masampahan ng kasong perjury, paglabag sa Code of Conduct and ethical standards for public officials and employees, Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act at iba pang angkop na kaso.
Sa pagdinig ng House committee on legislative franchises, sinabi ng NTC na maaaring makapag-operate ang ABS-CBN kahit expired na ang prangkisa nito gaya ng nangyari sa ibang broadcasting at telecommunications companies. Ganito rin ang posisyon ng Department of Justice.
Nagbanta naman si Solicitor General Jose Calida na kakasuhan ang NTC kung magbibigay ng provisional authority.
Noong Martes ay naglabas ang NTC ng cease and desist order at ipinahinto ang operasyon ng ABS-CBN.
“Such contemptuous and criminal acts utterly disrespect not only the Committee on Legislative Franchises but the entire House of Representatives including the Senate, and such brazen and calculated conduct, reeking of an outright conspiracy, has led to the ambush of the House even taking the Senate by surprise.”
“This unconstitutional meddling of the Solicitor General resulting in the NTC being unduly influenced and pressured to go against its categorical declarations under oath— supported by the clear legal opinion of the DOJ and the valid exercise of legislative authority by both the House of Representatives and the Senate— is an outright disgrace and an affront to the entire Congress and the DOJ.”
Sa ilalim ng Konstitusyon, ang Kongreso lamang ang maaaring magbigay ng legislative franchise.
“Clearly, the actions of the NTC Commissioners and its Officers in conspiracy with the Solicitor General constitutes perjury under Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code whereby a “person, who knowingly makes untruthful statements” and “shall testify under oath, or make an affidavit, upon any material matter before a competent person authorized to administer an oath in cases in which the law so requires.”
Dapat din umanong papanagutin ang mga NTC officials at Calida sa paglabag sa Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
“Finally and most seriously, the acts of the NTC Commissioners and its Officers in conspiracy with the Solicitor General constitute a violation of Republic Act no. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, for “Persuading, inducing or influencing another public officer to perform an act constituting a violation of rules and regulations duly promulgated by competent authority or an offense in connection with the official duties of the latter” in a manner that causes “any undue injury to any party, including the Government, or giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence.“