Supreme Court to tackle ABS-CBN’s petition against NTC’s cease and desist order on May 19, 2020

Supreme Court Spokesperson Brian Keith Hosaka has confirmed that that Supreme Court will discuss ABS-CBN’s petition to stop the implementation of the National Telecommunications Commission’s cease and desist order issued last Tuesday, May 5, 2020.

However, an unidentified source of the Supreme Court admitted that nobody has read the network’s petition yet, to give time for others to read.

SC source: “Nobody has read the petition yet. To give time to ponente and others to read the petition.”

ABS-CBN petition vs NTC cease and desist order will be taken up by SC en banc not tomorrow, Tuesday, May 12, but on Tuesday next week, May 19.

SC source: "Nobody has read the petition yet. To give time to ponente and others to read the petition."

— Mike Navallo (@mikenavallo) May 11, 2020

This was publicly announced by lawyer and reporter in ABS-CBN, Mike Navallo.

In another post, Mike reiterated that the court may still decide if there is a need for a special session to tackle the ABS-CBN petition against NTC, prior to May 19, 2020, if the enhanced community quarantine will be lifted by then.

Another SC source said the justice in charge will make recommendations and the Court may still decide if a special session may be needed before the May 19 session, set to be the first physical en banc session of SC if the Enhanced Community Quarantine will be lifted.

— Mike Navallo (@mikenavallo) May 11, 2020

In spite of Hosaka’s confirmation that Supreme Court will finally discuss the network’s petition against NTC, it will be assigned randomly to a justice who will be responsible to study the petition and for what happened between ABS-CBN and sudden decision of NTC’s cease and desist order before providing a recommendation.

What does raffling mean? I assume it is conducted to assign a judge to tackle the case? How long would it take? We're dying because of lockdown😭😭😭

— Rjay Reyes (@RjayReyes16) May 11, 2020

The avid viewers and supporters of ABS-CBN have high hopes that the decision of the Supreme Court will be in favor of the network:

I hope sc acts swiftly on the petition. They know the urgency of the matter.

— Rom Baluyot (@romeobaluyotjr) May 11, 2020

After all this, I hope ABS-CBN would now be more pro-active in educating the voters to vote for the right people, not just because they are popular or endorsed by an actor/ actress. This is the only way the country can avoid another repeat of having a similar admin in the future

— Tanghod Pinoy (@pnoyaus) May 11, 2020

https://twitter.com/thehiatusninja/status/1259696682138128384

Praying and hoping for the best result🙏🙏🙏

— 👀💓💚💙 (@KiaNo_0306) May 11, 2020

I still believe to the SC they know the true behind NTC Order. 🙏

— Hasan Baharan Jr. (@ShanAhmir1986) May 11, 2020

In the ABS-CBN petition statement, the giant network emphasized that the NTC clearly violated the right of the public for information and curtailed freedom of speech, along with the serious damage it gives to 11,000 employees of ABS-CBN.

Two days after NTC demand ABS-CBN to shut down, Congressman Alan Peter Cayetano blatantly blame Taal volcano eruption and pandemic COVID-19 disease for the delay and adjustments in the Congressional calendar which allegedly affected the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise.

Cayetano said: “While we were on track with some of our priority legislation – including the swift passage of the 2020 budget, the Malasakit Center Act, and the creation of the Department of Overseas Filipino Workers, the eruption of Taal Volcano in January necessitated adjustments in the Congressional calendar. As well as the outbreak of COVID-19.”