Even though the franchise of ABS CBN has been denied by the government, the battle against ABS-CBN still hasn’t ended because today, September 23, the Congress will officially look into the validity of the land title of ABS-CBN’s vast complex in Quezon City.
It will be chaired by the House Committee on Justice, based on House Resolution No. 1058 by SAGIP Party-list Representative Rodante Marcoleta as of July 22.
It aims to investigate whether the title submitted by ABS-CBN is legitimate. Looking back, just 12 days after the House committee on legislative franchise destroyed ABS-CBN’s franchise application, Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta requested an inquiry into the validity of the land title where the broadcast media giant’s offices and buildings are erected in Quezon City.
Because according to him, ABS-CBN officials only presented a photocopy of the title at the hearing of their franchise in Congress, and that they were not able to submit a certified electronic copy of the title.
“Upon perusal of the certified electronic copy obtained from the Register of Deeds, the particular part that should indicate the title number of the immediately preceding title was suppressed, while the photocopy of the Owner’s Duplicate copy submitted by ABS-CBN contained the following information: ‘this certificate is a transfer from Transfer Certificate of Title No. 110731/T-557’,” Marcoleta pointed out in his resolution.
Marcoleta then filed on July 22 a House Resolution No. 1058, ordering the necessary committees in the lower chamber to conduct the inquiry “in the light of the policy recommendation.
“This simply means that the alleged present title of ABS-CBN (TCT No. 125702), is a transfer or immediately precedes, from Transfer Certificate of Title No. 110731/T-557,” he added
He also noted that it was just a bad photocopy which caused him to challenged the Owner’s Duplicate Certificate of Title (TCT No. 125702) provided during the franchise hearings by ABS-CBN for its property on Mother Ignacia Avenue.
Marcoleta, who was at the forefront of the forces opposed to ABS-CBN’s continued service, claimed that the documents are questionable and if the network does not prove that the land really belongs to them, the government can take it back.
