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MAYNILA — Binalaan ng Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) ang National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) laban sa pagbibigay ng provisional authority para makapag-operate ang ABS-CBN Corporation at ABS-CBN Convergence Incorporated kapag napaso na ang prangkisa nito.

Mapapaso sa Mayo 4 ang prangkisa ng ABS-CBN.

Giit ni Solicitor General Jose Calida, tanging ang Kongreso lang ang may kapangyarihan sa ilalim ng Saligang Batas na magbigay ng prangkisa sa isang broadcast network.

"The Constitution gives Congress the exclusive power to grant franchises to public utilities, such as broadcasting companies, in order to operate in the country. Although this legislative power may be delegated to administrative agencies through a law, at present, there is no such law giving the NTC or any other agency the power to grant franchises to broadcasting entities," ani Calida.

Taliwas ito sa kagustuhan ng Kamara at Senado, na nagsabing maaaring bigyan ng NTC ng provisional authority ang ABS-CBN habang wala pang naipapasang batas para sa bagong prangkisa ng network.

Mismong sina House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano at Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez, chair ng House Committee on Legislative Franchises, ang sumulat sa NTC na itinutulak ang pag-isyu ng provisional authority para sa ABS-CBN epektibo Mayo 4.

Ang Senado naman, nagpasa ng resolusyon na nagsasabing gusto nitong maglabas ang NTC ng perehong awtorisasyon.

Pero babala ni Calida, mahaharap sa kaso sa ilalim ng Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act ang mga NTC commissioner na maglalabas ng provisional authority.

Wala pang pahayag NTC tungkol sa pahayag ni Calida.

Nito lamang Linggo, sinabi ng Palasyo na sinusuportahan nila ang malayang pamamahayag, lalo sa gitna ng krisis na kinahaharap ng bansa dahil sa COVID-19 pandemic.

"Without an open and free press, there will be an intellectual vacuum on public information and government programs and services, and there will be no dialogue on societal issues, public grievances, and government policies," ani Palace communications Secretary Martin Andanar.

"As media workers continue reporting in the frontlines, we pray for everyone’s safety as we laud all those in front of and behind the scenes in bringing truthful information to the homes of every Filipino family," sabi naman ni Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.

Ang news.abs-cbn.com ay ang opisyal na news website ng ABS-CBN Corp.

—Ulat ni Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News