Senate to face the ABS-CBN franchise renewal

The Full-house senate is expected to attend the ABS-CBN franchise hearing as Zubiri stated in an interview, Friday, February 21 that about 80 percent of senators have signified that they will be attending so we are expecting a full house in terms of the membership of the Senate to attend and question resource persons.

"Give way to the ABS-CBN franchise renewal hearing where majority of Senators are expected to attend." He added.

The hearing would use the session hall as its venue on Monday. "So to allow our colleagues to utilize all our rooms on Monday for very important hearings, particularly the Session hall, we move to adjourn session until February 26, Wednesday three o'clock in the afternoon since Feb. 25 was EDSA People Power anniversary is a declared national holiday, it will resume on Wednesday next week," Zubiri said.

According to Zubiri, Sen. Grace Poe, public services committee chair will lead the majority of the senators expressed intent to join the hearing. "The committee of Sen. Grace Poe will have enough time-even if she wants all the way up to the evening- to be able to profound questions on the resource persons on this franchise application," he added.

The franchise hearing is scheduled on Feb. 24 at 10 a.m., over a month before the ABS-CBN's 25-year franchise lapses on March 30, 2020.

In fact, Poe's committee will discuss the broadcast franchises of the ff. companies:

Golden Broadcast Professional Inc.

Gold Label Broadcasting System Inc.

Broadcast Enterprises and Affliated Media Inc.

First United Broadcasting Corp.

Crusaders Broadcasting System Inc.

Bicol Broadcasting System Inc.

Renewal of ABS-CBN's franchise first emanates from the House Representatives before it can be tackled in the Senate.

It was developed after the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) filed a quo warranto before the Supreme Court seeking to nullify ABS-CBN's franchise. OSG filed a motion asking the high court to stop ABS-CBN and concerned parties from discussing the said petition.

Photo courtesy: Manila Bulletin News