HINDI nawala sa pamilya Lopez ang pagmamay-ari ng ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. kahit noong panahon ng Martial law.
Ayon kay Atty. Arecio Rendor Jr., pangulo ng ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp., “Hindi po nawalay ang pag-aari ng Lopez family sa ABS-CBN at mga broadcast facilities and equipment even from the time when Martial Law was declared until today.”
Humarap si Rendor sa pagdinig ng House committees on Legislative Franchise at on Good Government and Public Accountability. Siya ay bahagi ng arbitration case upang mabawi ng pamilya Lopez ang ABS-CBN matapos itong kumpiskahin ng Marcos government.
Nagsimula umano ang proseso ng arbitration nang sumulat ang abugado noon ng ABS-CBN na si Lorenzo Tanada kay noon ay Pangulong Cory Aquino noong Abril 17, 1986 kaugnay ng pagbabalik ng ari-arian ng ABS-CBN matapos ang krisis ng bansa.
Ito umano ang nagbigay-daan sa arbitration agreement. Nagpatuloy ang proseso hanggang sa maupo na si Pangulong Fidel Ramos.
“Two administrations gave imprimatur for the return of the possession of ABS-CBN of its real estate, properties, and broadcast equipment. And even the Supreme Court, one validating the agreement to arbitrate and another one for the factual circumstances, lends constitutionality to the return,” ani Rendor.
Sinabi ni Rendor na kasama sa pinag-usapan ang bayad sa ABS-CBN sa paggamit ng mga kagamitan nito. Wala umanong nangyari na bigayan ng pera at ibinawas na lamang ito sa babayarang buwis ng Channel 2.
“ABS-CBN should be legally-compensated because the takeover, as far as ABS-CBN is concerned, the legal position, was not in accordance with law,” ani Rendor.
Nauna rito, sinabi ni ABS-CBN president and chief executive officer Carlo Katigbak na ang pagbabalik ng ABS-CBN sa mga Lopez ay aprubado ng Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), Office of the President, at Supreme Court.
“This agreement, which received the nod of the Supreme Court in 1989, ordered PTV 4 to return the said facilities to ABS-CBN in 1992, six years after the EDSA revolution” ani Katigbak.