Former Deputy Speaker and Anakalusugan Partylist Rep. Mike Defensor seems to be trying to make a u-turn on the ABS-CBN franchise issue.
During the January 27 plenary session in Congress, Defensor insisted on his point of order asking lawmakers to tackle the House of Representatives’ unfinished business with regards to the ABS-CBN interim franchise bill.
Defensor raised the matter about HB No. 6732 which aims to give ABS-CBN a temporary franchise which according to him was not yet settled.
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to raise a point of order that the unfinished business of the ABS-CBN franchise be decided first before we take up any issue in plenary.
“Malinaw na malinaw na nakasaad sa calendar of business natin na bago pag-usapan ang business of the day, bago pag-usapan ang anumang debate sa anumang batas ay tapusin muna natin ang consideration ng mga items o mga batas sa ilalim ng unfinished business,” said Defensor.
Defensor asserted that the plenary should vote first to affirm or reject the Committee of the Whole report on interim franchise bill which was left hanging after its 3rd reading passage was reverted back following opposition from some lawmakers.
“I assert that the committee report conducted by the Committee of the Whole has been submitted for the longest time. Nandito na sa atin yan, the unfinished business of the ABS-CBN franchise.
“And I’m calling that we either affirm the committee report and do away with that unfinished business before we continue with the other businesses of the day that we are considering as a plenary,” Defensor continued.
Defensor however failed to note that HB No. 6732 or the interim ABS-CBN franchise bill has been rendered moot and academic since it only seeks to grant the network temporary franchise until October 2020.
Also earlier this year, Defensor also suggested the best solution to start a new discussion regarding the ABS-CBN franchise.
This following several lawmaker’s moves to revive the ABS-CBN franchise application by filing fresh bills seeking to grant the network a fresh 25-year broadcast franchise.
“Ano ang pinakamadaling solusyon kung gusto nila ulit simulan ito para sa committee? Lahat ng mga original na nag-author from Day 1, yung labindalawa na gumawa ng renewal of franchise should all withdraw and a new franchise law should be filed,” Defensor said.
Defensor has been one of the main oppositors to the ABS-CBN franchise renewal during its hearing in Congress.
Together with other lawmakers Remulla, Marcoleta, and Barzaga, Defensor pounded on several issues against the Kapamilya network even though all of their resource persons from different government agencies have attested that ABS-CBN has no gross violations as raised by the oppositors.
However, following the change of leadership brought about by the ouster of former Speaker Alan Cayetano, Defensor being a close ally of the former speaker was also stripped of his position.
Cayetano and the 70 congressmen including Defensor were instrumental in the denial of the ABS-CBN franchise application on July 10.
