Vilma Santos and Sol Aragones filed franchise renewal of abs-cbn Kapamilya network

photo from Rappler (ctto)

House Deputy Speaker Vilma Santos-Recto and Laguna 3rd District Rep. Sol Aragones were the recent members of representatives who filed the Kapamilya network’s 25-year franchise renewal under House Bill 4035 and House Bill 3947 respectively.

The network giant ABS-CBN will be renewed to a fresh 25-year franchise starting in March 2020.

Two other lawmakers have already filed the proposed renewal of franchise of the giant network in the country, Deputy Speaker Rose Marie “Baby” Arenas (Pangasinan) and Parañaque Rep. Myra Joy 

Tambunting filed a similar proposal last month.

The proposed action came just in time before the 65-year old network’s present legislative franchise 

under Republic Act No. 7966 lapses.

Nueva Ecija Rep. Michaela Violago spearheaded the campaign for the ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal of the said measure under House Bill 676 last July.

But the measure failed during the 17th Congress after it has failed to pursue by the House Committee on Legislative Franchises under the Palawan Rep. Franz “Chicoy” Alvarez.

Even President Rodrigo Duterte on many occasions has been serious to block ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal, and said he will veto its franchise renewal if ever it will pass the congressional approval.

Under Article 12 Section 11 of the 1987 Constitution states that “Neither shall any such franchise or right be granted except under the condition that it shall be subject to amendment, alteration, or repeal by the Congress when the common good so requires.”

Under the present charter, the President will sign the approved application for the franchise after a congressional approval that went through a normal legislative process in both the Lower House and Senate.

Source: Politiko