Iginiit nina dating Supreme Court Chief Justice (CJ) Reynato Puno at Senator Franklin Drilon na hindi na maaaring mag-operate ang ABS-CBN pagkatapos ng March 30, 2020 kung wala itong bagong prangkisa.
Sa ulat ng One News kahapon, February 21, sinabi ni Puno na ito ay kahalintulad sa desisyon ng Korte Suprema noong February 2003 hinggil sa kaso ng Associated Communications & Wireless Services United Broadcasting Network, Inc. (ACWS) laban sa National Telecommunicatons Commission (NTC).
Hindi na pinayagan ng SC ang ACWS na mag-broadcast nang walang bagong legislative franchise mula sa Kongreso.
Ito rin ang pananaw ng dating Punong Mahistrado sa kaso ng ABS-CBN franchise na magtatapos sa March 30.
Saad ni Puno: “Itong ABS-CBN, if franchise expires, cannot get from the National Telecommunications Commission the authority to operate after the expiration of the franchise.
“The National Telecommunications Commission does not have that power.”
Dagdag niya: “Meanwhile that Congress is taking time in deliberating whether to grant or not to grant a new franchise to ABS-CBN, I would like to think that it has only subsidiary powers and one of those subsidiary powers is to preserve the status quo.
“Parang judiciary din 'yan, e. Halimbawa, yung Supreme Court assumes jurisdiction over a case, o di ba sila’y mayroong kapangyarihan na mag-issue ng TRO or other lesser writs, ganun din 'yan.”
Si Puno ay nanungkulan bilang Chief Justice ng bansa mula December 2006 hanggang May 2010.
SENATOR DRILON ECHOES PUNO’S OPINION
Sa panayam naman ni Senator Franklin Drilon kay Karen Davila sa programang Headstart ng ANC kahapon, sinegundahan ng mambabatas ang sinabi ni Puno.
Taliwas ito sa pananaw ng ilang mambabatas na nagsabing maaari pa ring makapag-operate ang ABS-CBN kahit expired na ang franchise nito.
Sinasabi kasi ng ilang mambabatas na puwedeng ma-extend ang franchise ng network hanggang 2022 kung mabigo ang Kongreso na mabigyan ito ng panibagong legislative franchise bago March 30.
Saad ni Senator Drilon: "The Supreme Court has squarely ruled that a franchisee cannot anymore operate as a broadcast station if there's no longer a franchise.
"Of course, there is this view [from politicians], but you are taking a risk that the Supreme Court will rule otherwise as it has ruled in some cases.”
Sinabi rin ni Drilon na hindi pinapayagan ng batas ang NTC na maglabas ng temporary operations permit sa isang istasyon na may paso nang prangkisa.
Ayon pa sa senador, duda siyang pumanig ang isang state regulator sa ABS-CBN dahil nasa ilalim ng Office of the President ang NTC.
Makailang beses nagbanta si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na haharangin niya ang anumang panukalang batas na magbibigay ng panibagong prangkisa sa Kapamilya network.
Ito ang dahilan kaya naghain si Senator Drilon ng joint resolution sa Senado na naglalayong mabigyan ng extension ang prangkisa ng ABS-CBN hanggang 2022.
“It's not for ABS-CBN. It is for Congress to be given time to review the very serious allegations made by Solicitor General [Jose Calida] in the Supreme Court,” paliwanag ng senador.
Naghain ang Office of the Solicitor General ng quo warranto petition sa Supreme Court, noong February 10, upang i-revoke ang existing franchise ng network dahil daw sa ilang violations nito sa kanilang legislative franchise.
Iginiit din ni Drilon na ang Kongreso ang tamang venue sa franchise renewal—hindi ang Supreme Court.
Sabi niya, “Whether or not ABS-CBN has violated the terms of its franchise, it would have to be passed upon by Congress because we are in the process of renewing.
"The jurisdiction is with us."
Sakaling makapasa ang joint resolution ni Drilon sa Kongreso at maaprubahan ni President Duterte, may pangil na raw ito na parang isang lehitimong batas.
Makatutulong daw ito upang hindi na mangamba ang 11,000 na kawani ng ABS-CBN.
Saad ni Drilon: “I don't want to risk the livelihood of the 11,000 ABS-CBN employees on a theory that ABS-CBN and its 11,000 employees can continue after March 30 without a franchise."