SEN. Risa Hontiveros and Sagip Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta yesterday traded barbs on the shutdown of television network ABS-CBN two years ago.
Their verbal clash happened during the Commission on Appointment hearing on the ad interim appointment of Commission on Audit chair Gamaliel Cordoba.
Cordoba served as a commissioner of the National Telecommunications Commission when the television network shut down after its franchise to operate was not renewed by Congress.
Hontiveros recalled that Cordoba stated under oath then that the NTC will issue a provisional authority to ABS-CBN to allow it to continue operating, pending approval of its franchise. However, the NTC instead issued a cease-and-desist order.
“Despite your commitment under oath, instead of issuing a provisional authority, you issued on May 5, 2020 a cease-and-desist order against ABS-CBN to stop operating its various TV and radio broadcasting stations nationwide after pressure from then Solicitor General Jose Calida,” Hontiveros said.
Hontiveros said the move resulted in thousands of ABS-CBN workers losing their livelihood.
Cordoba said he acted based on legal advice from the Department of Justice even as he admitted it was not an easy decision to make considering the number of employees affected by the shutdown.
“Even if it was legal, it was not an easy decision to make, that’s why during the House hearings I apologized to all those who are affected. I am just doing my job and what the law said,” Cordoba said.
Marcoleta, one of the lawmakers who supported the shutdown, said the matter is moot and academic, adding the shutdown had nothing to do with press freedom.
“It’s not about press freedom. It’s about franchise. We should not belabor on this case,” Marcoleta told Hontiveros.
Hontiveros told Marcoleta she was not belaboring the issue but raising legitimate concerns.
“I am raising questions and receiving answers sa mga issues na unresolved. It is not moot and academic,” she said.
Hontiveros added that contrary to Marcoleta’s assertions, the closure of the television giant has an impact on press freedom.
“This is, in my humble opinion, a continuing injustice. If this is a win-win situation, I would not have asked the question,” she said.
Due to time constraints, the CA rescheduled the hearing on Cordoba’s appointment as COA chair.
“We suspended the session because we have to go to the plenary because kailangan i-second and third reading ‘yung budget today. So imbes na maantala ang budget, we decided to suspend it for the meantime,” CA Majority Leader Luis Raymund Villafuerte said.
“Hindi siya (Cordoba) deferred, we will schedule him next week,” he added.
