EMONG'S JOURNALS

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Legislative Franchises denied the application of media network ABS-CBN for a new 25-year franchise, with 70 committee members voting in favor of the resolution, 11 against it. Legal practitioners have suggested various remedies for ABS-CBN to have a franchise, including a very rigorous, back-breaking Constitutional recourse: the People’s Initiative. But this law is rife with complexities. What is People's Initiative People's Initiative (PI) is a provision in the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines allowing for a "people's initiative" as one of the modes for constitutional amendment: ART. 6, SECTION 32 The Congress shall, as early as possible, provide for a system of initiative and referendum, and the exceptions therefrom, whereby the people can directly propose and enact laws or approve or reject any act or law or part thereof passed by the Congress or local legislative body after the registration of a pe...

What went badly for ABS-CBN during the Congressional hearings of their franchise renewal?  We all saw the hearings at the House of Representatives for the renewal of the TV network's franchise where we sat in front of our televisions and saw, played out in front of our eyes, every ‘drama’ that can happen during a Congressional hearing. Committee members bringing in information and inquisitions, and some throwing bombshells that poleaxed most of us because they were completely shocking and unexpected. All this within 12 gruelling marathon hearings! The House Committee on Legislative Franchises voted 70-11, with two inhibitions and one abstention, adopting a resolution denying the franchise application of ABS-CBN Corporation to Construct, Install, Establish, Operate and Maintain Radio & Broadcasting Stations in the Philippines. The resolution was recommended by a three-person Technical Working Group (TWG) that summarized seven key issues taken up in deliberations in...