KUNG hanggang 50 taon lamang umano maaaring mag-operate ang isang kompanya na kumukuha ng prangkisa sa Kongreso marami umano ang lumalabas sa Konstitusyon.
Ito ang sinabi ni ABS-CBN general counsel Mario Bautista sa joint hearing ng House committees on Legislative Franchise and on Good Government and Public Accountability kahapon.
“The 50-year limit applies to each franchise, certificate of authorization, and does not prohibit the grant of a new franchise to the same entity. Hence, Congress may grant several franchises to the same public utility. Wala pong pagbabawal dito. ‘Yun po ang fair reading of the provision as it is written,” ani Bautista.
Aniya, ang hindi pinapayagan ng 1987 Constitution ay ang magbigay ang Kongreso ng lagpas sa 50 taong prangkisa.
Sinabi ni Bautista na nagooperate ng lagpas ng 50 taon na ang maraming kompanya na kumukuha ng legislative franchise gaya ng PLDT, Inc. (100 years), Meralco (126 years), Visayas Electric Company (102 years), Philippine Airlines (93 years), Davao Light and Power Company (95 years), GMA Network (70 years), IBC Philippines (62 years), at TV5 (62 years).
“Kapag ang finding po ng Kongreso ay kailangan 50 years lang ang operation ng isang public utility, lahat po itong korporasyon na aking binanggit ay violative of the Constitution ‘yung kanilang prangkisa,” ani Bautista. “Kaya napakabigat po ng bintang na kailangan 50 years lang ang public utility.”
Sa kaparehong pagdinig ay sinabi ni Justice Assistant Secretary Nicholas Ty na maaari pa ring mabigyan ng prangkisa ang isang korporasyon kapag nag-lapse na ang prangkisa nito.
“Congress can once again issue a franchise to the same applicant, the same grantee. Tulad ng sinabi ni Atty. Bautista ng ABS-CBN, ang 50-year limitation under the Constitution pertains to the franchise itself and not to the grantee,” saad ni Ty. “Congress can issue multiple franchises that collectively exceed 50 years as long as the individual franchises do not exceed 50 years.”