- Panelo denied President Duterte’s involvement in OSG petition.
- OSG will file quo warranto against ABS-CBN.
Malacanang has denied any involvement of the President in the planned quo warranto petition of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) against media network ABS-CBN.
In a statement by Malacanang spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Thursday, January 16, he said that although President Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly threatened ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal, he didn’t have any involvement with the petition by the OSG.
“Ang ibig mong sabihin kung may instructions si Presidente? Wala. Trabaho kasi ng SolGen yun,” he said.
“You must remember that the job of the SolGen is to file the appropriate petitions when he sees or feels that there is a transgression of franchises or any law for that matter,” he said
Panelo also added that it has nothing to do with press freedom because press freedom has limitations if a law was violated.
“Basta may violation ng batas hindi pwedeng pumasok ang press freedom. Ang press freedom may limitations din ‘yun,” he added.
But Panelo was also quick to clarify that he has yet to read the petition or talk to Solicitor General Calida.
A Manila Times report said OSG is planning to file a petition to the Supreme Court voiding ABS-CBN’s franchise through quo warranto.
Under Rule 66 of the Rules of Civil Procedure, Quo Warranto petition is an “action for the usurpation of a public office, position or franchise.”
It can be filed against a person who “usurps, intrudes into, or unlawfully holds or exercises a public office, position or franchise,” a “public officer who does or suffers an act which, by the provision of law, constitutes a ground for the forfeiture of his office,” or “an association which acts as a corporation within the Philippines without being legally incorporated or without lawful authority so to act.”
Meanwhile, there are only two months left before ABS-CBN’s franchise expires in March 2020.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1CLMCa_6t4
There are already 9 bills filed by 11 Congressmen that seek to renew ABS-CBN’s franchise.
House Committee on Legislative Franchise head Franz Alvarez has assured that they will start deliberating on the bills once Congress resumes its session on January 20.
