INAPRUBAHAN ng committee of the whole ng Kamara de Representantes ang panukala na bigyan ng provisional franchise ang ABS-CBN.
Ang House bill 6732, na akda ni House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano at iba pang lider ng Kamara de Representantes, ay nagbibigay ng PA sa ABS-CBN hanggang sa Oktobre 2020.
Sinabi ni Cayetano na sapat na ang panahong ito upang matalakay ng Kamara ang aplikasyon ng ABS-CBN na muling mabigyan ng 25-taong prangkisa.
Iginiit ni Cayetano na kung hindi tinalikuran ng National Transmissions Commission ang sinabi nito na hahayaang mag-operate ang ABS-CBN kahit na expired na ang prangkisa nito habang nagsasagawa ng pagdinig ang Kamara ay nakatuon sana ang buong atensyon nito sa paggawa ng batas na panlaban sa coronavirus disease 2019.
“And this is really where the leadership of Congress is coming from – we believe that these questions require our 100% attention. Not just by Congress – BUT OF THE ENTIRE NATION. If there one thing that people remember about what I say today about the work of government during this time, it is this – NOTHING SHOULD BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN DEFEATING COVID-19. You cannot hope to weigh the value of our immediate response to the pandemic as against the concerns of a private corporation. There simply is no comparison,” ani Cayetano.
“Yet this is exactly what the NTC has unnecessarily forced us to do by turning back on its commitment given under oath last March 10 that ABS-CBN will be allowed to continue to Broadcast.”
“This distraction is the reason why we must not allow the betrayal of the NTC and the unconstitutional meddling of the Solicitor General in this exclusive power of Congress to go unchallenged. Their actions are not only an affront to the institution, it also delays the discussion and passage of crucial legislation that our people sorely need.”
Sinabi ni Cayetano na ang pagsasagawa ng hearing ay hindi nangangahulugan na otomatikong bibigyan ng prangkisa ang ABS-CBN.
Kailangan pa rin umanong sagutin ng ABS-CBN ang mga tanong at mga alegasyon laban dito.