ABS CBN violated Constitutional provision of 100% Filipino ownership and management in mass media, Lopez was an American citizen in 1996 when he headed the network

By Pinoy 2022

Mas mabigat pa kaysa sa paglabag ng mga pangkaraniwang batas ay ang pagyurak sa Saligang Batas (Constitution). Photo: 2016 Presidential debates, Lopez in front, Duterte at the back, other candidates -Binay, Santiago RIP, TraPOE and Roxas

abs 2016 debates

ABS-CBN chair defied Charter

By Jomar Canlas, The Manila Times

(First of two parts)

ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. was, for decades, headed by an American citizen, records in the Bureau of Immigration (BI) show, a clear violation of the constitutional statute that media companies must be 100-percent Filipino-owned.

Documents obtained by The Manila Times from an unimpeachable source revealed that ABS-CBN Chairman Emeritus Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez 3rd has been using a United States passport during his travels from Jan. 10, 1995 until Jan. 6, 2020.

Lopez’s 12-page list of travel records shows that he has been using a US passport in most of his travels, including when he was chairman of ABS-CBN.

The Constitution’s Article XVI, Section 11 (1) states: “The ownership and management of mass media shall be limited to citizens of the Philippines, or to corporations, cooperatives or associations, wholly-owned and managed by such citizens.”

Lopez was appointed chairman and chief executive officer of the broadcast network in 1996, when it was handed back to the Lopezes by President Corazon Aquino in 1986. He started as a director, of finance, but only a year later he was appointed general manager.

That means technically, while he was climbing the ABS-CBN corporate ladder, he was a US citizen because the country’s Dual Citizenship Law was passed only in 2004.

That law allows natural-born Filipinos who acquired citizenship in another country to become Philippine citizens.

Even if Lopez was able to acquire Filipino citizenship, records show that from 1986 up to the time he applied for Filipino citizenship, Lopez was a passport-carrying American citizen.

As late as last January 2, Lopez used his US passport — Number 506179018 — during a special flight to Haneda, Japan.

He had his Philippine passport on January 6 when he flew in Vista Jet Flight VJT479D and switched to his US passport during the same flight.

Lopez was technically still an American citizen when he assumed the ABS-CBN chairmanship in 1996.

From Jan. 10, 1995 up to Dec. 8, 2002 he was using US Passport Number 051136203.

It became Passport Number 700820102 after it was renewed. In 2005, the passport was renewed again to 71186505, which he used until Sept. 20, 2010.

Another renewal changed the number to 452132118, which he used until Feb. 27, 2015. Lopez’s present passport is number 506179018.

The first time he used his Philippine passport was on March 16, 2003. He presented Philippine Passport Number ZZ095942 for Cathay Pacific Airline flight CX 918. On a December 17, 2018 trip to San Francisco, California, Lopez presented a US passport. He was also traveling as an American citizen on Jan. 14, 2019 to Haneda, Japan; Jan. 23, 2019 to Denpasar, Indonesia; April 14, 2019 to Haneda; May 15, 2019 to San Francisco, USA; May 28, 2019 to San Francisco, USA; June 3, 2019 to Los Angeles, USA; July 26, 2019 to San Francisco, USA; Oct. 10, 2019 to San Francisco USA; and Nov. 13, 2019 to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Istanbul, Turkey.

Even after he was granted dual citizenship, records show that Lopez decided to hang on to his US passport.

Yet, when ABS-CBN President and CEO Karlo Katigbak testified before the Senate, he insisted Lopez is a Filipino citizen because he has a Philippine passport and his father, Eugenio Lopez Jr., was a Filipino.

The Manila Times’ text and voice queries to Katigbak went unanswered.

The Manila Times tried to get a reaction from Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra as to whether a Filipino with dual citizenship can head a media company.

Guevarra declined to comment since ABS-CBN filed a petition before the Supreme Court to fight the closure order issued by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

The case will be raffled today, Monday.

A quo warranto petition was earlier filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida against ABS CBN contesting the legality of the network’s ownership. There is also the petition of lawyer Larry Gadon who called on the Supreme Court to stop House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba from implementing the notice for an extension of the ABS-CBN franchise.

Amid the finger-pointing on the closure of ABS-CBN Corp., Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo said Congress should have acted upon the network’s franchise when it had the time.

“Pagkatapos ng shutdown, noong marami nagreact, nagtuturuan na. Noong hindi pa sina-shut down mayroong mga ano ito, may mga threats na hindi na kayo makakarenew, tapos ngayon nagtuturuan kung sino iyong behind it. Pero noong panahon na may oras pa, iyong tanong nga: Bakit hindi inasikaso (After the shutdown, when there had been many reactions, there’s finger-pointing. When it had yet to shutdown, there had been threats that it would not be renewed, and now, there’s finger-pointing on who’s behind it. But when there was still time, the question is: why was it not acted upon)?” Robredo said over her weekly radio show.

Robredo said the franchise renewal bills had been pending in the House since 2014 until the 25-year franchise expired last May 4.

Robredo stressed that an action should have been made, whether it had been for a renewal or disapproval if there had been violations that could have presented a clear path for the network and prevented a dilemma.

“If there really had been a lot of violations, if we may say for example, that the license cannot be renewed, then it should have been disapproved. Disapproved so that the next recourse would be clear,” she said in Filipino.

Robredo, however, pointed out that the network could only respond to the allegations if a hearing had been called.

Albay First District Rep. Edcel Lagman reiterated that the House leadership “deprived ABS-CBN of its authority to operate by inordinately stalling the network’s franchise renewal and allowing it to expire.”

Lagman said “even the Supreme Court will have difficulty in finding legal anchorage for issuing a temporary restraining order against NTC since the law is clear under Republic Act 7925 or the ‘Public Telecommunications Policy Act’ that: ‘No person shall commence or conduct the business of being a public telecommunications entity without first obtaining a franchise.’”

“The proverbial key to heaven for ABS-CBN is with Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano,” he said.

Cayetano had said that Congress would hold franchise hearings that are “fair, impartial, thorough, and comprehensive.”

As of Sunday, no schedule has been set for the 12 franchise renewal measures pending with the Committee on Legislative Franchise.

WITH DIVINA NOVA JOY DELA CRUZ

ABS CBN – the only sure remedy (legislative franchise) is indeed in the halls of Congress

By Pinoy 2022
Duterte Supreme Court NTC OSG Calida – Since 2014, the ball has always been in the hands of Congress (House of Representatives and Senate)
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ABS-CBN blame game
AS A MATTER OF FACT – Sara Soliven De Guzman (The Philippine Star)
May 11, 2020

Back in January this year, I said that ABS-CBN needed no less than magic to get out of a real tight fix with the expiration of its franchise to operate. Expire it did, and the blame game has begun.

Understandably, most fingers point to the House of Representatives for sitting on the bills filed for the extension or renewal of the legislative franchise, as early as 2014. Then there is this suggestion that the owners of the most influential TV and Radio network were just too confident on the chances of their “perceived” 2016 presidential bet, that they did not aggressively push for the extension during the incumbency of P-Noy.

Yet, I read somewhere that even the past administration would not have allowed the extension allegedly because of some political displeasure involving a top anchor of the TV giant. Then there is one who blames us all for electing those Honorable Congressmen, who failed to approve the pending bills for franchise extension or renewal. Now the Congressmen are angry at the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), for what they claim was an ambush, in issuing the Cease and Desist Order (CDO) against ABS-CBN, instead of the Provisional Authority to operate allegedly promised by no less than the head of the agency during a public hearing.

In the midst of it all, the primary suspect is no less than the President of the Republic, who has repeatedly made known his wish against the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise in disgust for what it did to his campaign ads back in 2016 and for alleged loans unjustly condoned by the government.

The palace would always say that the ball is in Congress and the President has nothing to do with the ABS-CBN predicament. Not totally true, because if the president wanted the Coco Martin fans to enjoy a bit longer the unbelievable exploits of Cardo, he could have asked Congress to pass the law with dispatch, or at the very least, he could have refrained from influencing Congress with his public rants against the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise.

Did the NTC improperly issue the CDO in an unfair and perhaps, anti-competitive manner, considering what the Secretary of Justice opined as an “equitable practice” to allow a broadcast company to continue its operations despite an expired franchise, pending renewal? Well, it can always be argued that one cannot escape the penalty for a red traffic light violation because others ahead did. In fairness to the NTC chief, he was consistent at the senate hearing in telling that the agency will abide by the advice of its counsel regarding the issuance of a provisional authority in favor of ABS-CBN.

What was amiss at that time, however, is the fact that the statutory counsel of NTC is not the Department of Justice, but the Office of the Solicitor General. Thus, in the leaked April 30, 2020 letter of the Office of the Solicitor General to the NTC, the latter was earnestly advised against issuing a provisional authority. The statutory counsel cautioned the NTC by emphasizing that – “Issuing anything other than a cease and desist and recall order subjects the NTC to legal sanctions for violations of the law, its own rules, and the Supreme Court Decisions which form part of the law of the land.” Can we then blame the NTC officials for heeding the advice of the agency’s statutory counsel, or else face criminal prosecution? Certainly, the commissioners cannot raise by way of defense before the Ombudsman or the Sandiganbayan, that they have to comply with a promise to congress or that they acted pursuant to an opinion of the DOJ, which is contrary to the legal position of their statutory counsel. Is it now the fault of the Solicitor General for doing his job with intense passion? Suffice it to state that the motive may be questioned, but if the act is within the bounds of law, what can we do?

As we would naturally find interest in knowing who is at fault, the blame game will bring us to nowhere because people would always do a “Pilate act” by washing their hands and blaming all and everything but themselves.

Last week, the TV giant brought its battle to the Supreme Court. With an impressive line-up of lawyers, ABS-CBN wants the Supreme Court to restrain the NTC from implementing the Cease and Desist Order it issued against the former. I am not a lawyer, but was not the CDO already implemented as the TV network is now off the air? What then shall be restrained? I am just wondering if the Supreme Court has the power to allow ABS-CBN to operate without a franchise. If no less than the Constitution requires a legislative franchise for the network to operate, will not an order from the Supreme Court in favor of the plea of ABS-CBN be considered tantamount to a non-existent “temporary franchise by judicial decree” or an equally undiscovered “equitable franchise to operate”?

But of course, the Supreme Court may give us surprises. Since the NTC is part of the executive branch, cannot the president overturn the CDO? Maybe, but why will the President do that?

Yet again, even if the President will now consider in favor of ABS-CBN its great contribution to relief operations, news and information dissemination, entertainment and the like, at this time of extreme emergency, how can the palace avoid the legal issue raised by the Solicitor General on the absence of a legislative franchise? Therefore, the only sure remedy is indeed in the halls of Congress. So instead of picking a fight with the NTC or the OSG in a blame game, Congress should act fast but with prudence and hear the proponents as well as the oppositors of the franchise renewal bill, without any other consideration but the best interest of the people.

From where I sit, if there is no truth to the allegation that the Philippine Depositary Receipts issued for ABS-CBN shares violated the foreign ownership restrictions mandated by the Constitution, there should be no reason to withhold the renewal of its franchise. After everything has settled down and ABS-CBN is back on air, under the same or with new owners, its 2016 experience should be a lesson learned when it airs the campaign ads of the candidates in 2022. Shall we expect an extraordinary volume of TV airtime for sitting legislators who will seek re-election or vie for higher positions in 2022? Abangan!

ABS CBN SHUTDOWN – Duterte, Calida, NTC at Kamara sinisisi

By Pinoy 2022

Sino po ba talaga ang dapat sisihin sa pagkasara ng ABS CBN? Natapos ang prangkisa at dapat nakakuha ng bago mula sa Kongreso ngunit hanggang ngayon ay wala pa. Ang isang panukalang batas ay naguumpisa sa Kamara pero kupad pagong naman ang pagusad nito at nasa antas pa lamang ng komite. Ang nakakapagtaka dito ay 2014 pa dapat natalakay na ang isyu sa panahong si dating Pangulo Aquino at House Speaker Belmonte pa ang namamayani sa Pilipinas. Pamilyang Aquino ang tumulong para makabalik sa ere ang ABS CBN nuong Presidente si Cory Aquino. Ang problema ay hindi nabigyan ng bagong prankisa ang ABS CBN (2014, 2015 at 2016). Nuon namang kalagitnaan ng 2016, nagpalit na ang Pangulo at hindi pa rin nakagawa ng batas para sa bagong prangkisa. Dahil sa taas ng popularidad ni Pangulong Duterte at sa pagbanat niya sa Kapamilya network, ang pananaw ng mga kalaban ng pamahalaan ay siya ang dapat sisihin. Ayon naman sa Presidential Legal Adviser Panelo, ang Pilipinas ay may 3 magkakahiwalay na sangay – ang ehekutibo na nagpapatakbo ng gobyerno at ipinatutupad ang batas, ang lehislatibo na gumagawa ng batas at ang hudikatura na tagapagbigay kapaliwanagan sa batas. Sa madaling salita, hindi maaring makialam ang Pangulo sa gawain ng Kongreo (Kamara at Senado) at nagiintay lamang siya sa batas na gawa ng Kongreso na binigyang kapangyarihan ng ating Saligang Batas sa aspeto ng pagpasa ng mga batas.

abs karen panelo

ABS CBN Coco Martin NAPIKON (talo) sa mga TROLLS at BASHERS daw niya

By Pinoy 2022

poe coco

Coco Martin hits back at bashers over shutdown of ABS-CBN

By: Ian Biong INQUIRER.net
May 07, 2020

MANILA, Philippines — Kapamilya star Coco Martin is hitting back at “trolls and bashers” following ABS-CBN’s shutdown ordered by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on Tuesday.

The “Ang Probinsyano” actor, who recently took a jab at Solicitor General Jose Calida and the NTC for “making a fool out of Filipinos,” via Instagram has been letting out his frustrations on those in favor of the media giant’s temporary closure.

(For all our trolls and bashers, do not read this because you will not understand it anyway! We are just the same, because this is in English, I just posted this because many others are sharing it as well.)

In the following post, the actor emphasized the stand of Senate Labor Committee chair Joel Villanueva, who said the NTC’s move is “disappointing” and “heartless” especially “when people need jobs to survive the pandemic.”

“MGA TROLLS AT BASHERS, NAINTINDIHAN NIYO BA ANG SINABI NI SEN. JOEL VILLANUEVA? PARANG PAREHO YATA KAMI NG SINABI E, ENGLISH NGA LANG ANG SA KANYA,” Martin stressed. “SA PALAGAY KO HINDI NIYO RIN NAMAN NAINTINDIHAN KASI WALA KAYONG ALAM AT INATUPAG KUNGDI MAGMARUNONG AT MANIRA NG MGA TAO!!! WALA NAMAN KAYONG KAUSAP KUNGDI MGA KAPWA NYO! HUWAG KAYONG MAG-ALALA, HINDI KO BINABASA ANG MGA SINASABI NIYO LALO NA YUNG MGA NAG ENGLISH HINDI KO NAIINTINDIHAN YAN WALANG DATING SA AKIN YAN!!!”

Martin also shared a statement from House Ways and Means Chair Joey Salceda, which read: “In general, the House wants to approve the ABS-CBN franchise renewal dahil nagbabayad naman sila ng buwis, wala namang nilabag na batas… ‘yung problema po talaga ng NTC nakakasira po talaga ng national strategy.”

(In general, the House wants to approve ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal because they do pay taxes and has not violated any law… NTC’s problem is really detrimental to the national strategy.)

“SABI NI CONG. JOEY SALCEDA WALA DAW NILABAG SA BATAS ANG ABS-CBN. MALINAW NA MALINAW! NAIINTINDIHAN NIYO BA YUN MGA BASHERS? NTC NAKAKASIRA DAW KAYO NG NATIONAL STRATEGY! MATALINO YANG SI CONG.SALCEDA, KAIBIGAN KO YAN!!!” Martin stressed.

(Cong. Joey Salcedo said ABS-CBN did not violate any law. It is very clear! Do you bashers understand that? NTC, he said you are ruining the national strategy! Cong. Salceda is smart, he is my friend!) 

Other than Martin, many of the country’s biggest stars – even from ABS-CBN’s rival network GMA 7 – have been showing their support for the media giant and are condemning the NTC’s cease-and-desist order to stop ABS-CBN’s operations.

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COCOMARTIN ABSCBN Coco Martin ABS CBN Shutdown Closure Cease and Desist COVID19 COVID 19 Duterte Digong #ABSCBN #CocoMartin #Shutdown #CeaseAndDesist #COVID19

 

ABS CBN – Two 2019 blog posts PREDICTED VERY DIFFICULT business AFTER closure; ADVERTISING REVENUE CAN NOT be maintained

By Pinoy 2022

june 25 2019 balitangbalita.com/2019/06/25/abs-cbn-can-survive-without-a-franchise/

july 14 2019      balitangbalita.com/2019/07/14/without-a-radio-and-tv-franchise-what-will-save-abs-cbn/

Without a radio and tv franchise, what will save ABS CBN?

 

Assuming ABS CBN is not able to secure a franchise renewal to continue operating radio and TV stations, will new media distribution systems enable ABS CBN to remain in the black? Without the powerful Channel 2 on TV and DZMM on radio, can ABS CBN still make a profit on the basis of Facebook (with its live streaming), YouTube, cable TV, foreign distribution and TVplus? It will be a totally different ballgame with the tried and tested business model undergoing drastic change. Mind you, the viewership may migrate with the advent of new technologies, but will the advertisers follow suit. Lessons from the print media show the inability of major international newspapers to adapt to the digital world thus losing profitability with many closing shop.

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ABS CBN can survive without a franchise

Balitangbalita.com

JUNE 25, 2019

With the possibility of ABS CBN not getting a franchise renewal from the House of Representatives, the giant radio and TV company may need to seek other sources of revenue for the corporation to survive. No one in his right mind can state that in the short term, without a franchise, ABS CBN can still command the same level of net profits but there are a lot of positives that ABS CBN can utilize to still remain as a giant media corporation.

The number one advantage of ABS CBN is its seemingly endless pool of talents. Vice Ganda, Anne Curtis, Koko Martin, Sarah Geronimo, Nadine Lustre, Angel Locsin, Kim Chiu, Kathryn Bernando, Daniel Padilla and many others are just the big names in the entertainment department. In the news category, Ted Failon, Noli De Castro, Julius Babao and Anthony Taberna are household names. Maalalala Mo Kaya is a top rated radio program.

With all that talent, ABS CBN must somehow find a venue or platform to reach their Kapamilya fans. Leasing or taking over (in whole or in part) a number of dormant, idle or marginal radio and tv stations may somehow comply with the amount of airtime that the current ABS CBN is consuming everyday. Obviously not all of the current programs can be accommodated from day one but from the management point of view, that situation could actually be a blessing as ABS CBN would be forced to let go of unproductive shows to concentrate on their blockbusters.

The internet is another area where ABS CBN already has a significant presence in Facebook (including FB live streaming), YouTube, Twitter and Instagram. The international market is a huge potential for ABS CBN to explore what with its library of programs that can achieve global distribution.

Realistically, the transition from having a franchise and losing it would be a difficult path to thread but it CAN be done.

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ABS-CBN logs 1 M TVplus sales as of May

Richmong Mercurio (The Philippine Star)

July 14, 2019

MANILA, Philippines — More Filipinos continue to shift to digital terrestrial television as media and entertainment giant ABS-CBN Corp. was able to sell another million TVplus units in just a span of nearly five months.

ABS-CBN said one million more Filipinos have embraced digital television as ABS-CBN TVplus, the country’s pioneering digital terrestrial television device, hit the eight million mark in sales this month, four years since launch and a few months after the product pushed past the seven million mark in February.

“ABS-CBN TVplus’ accelerated sales is indicative of how far the country has moved on from analog television and how closer we are to fully transitioning into digital broadcast ahead of the government-mandated deadline of 2023,” ABS-CBN Access head Charles Lim said.ADVERTISING

Kantar Media’s establishment survey results in August last year showed a marked increase in digital television ownership in non-cabled homes across the country, with the number rising to 72 percent from 55 percent in the same month in 2017 in Metro Manila.

Digital television ownership in Mega Manila in non-cabled homes in Mega Manila also rose to 65 percent from 44 percent year on year, while also soaring to 57 percent from 33 percent in the suburbs.

COVID 19 – SAP sabwatan ng DSWD, munisipyo/lungsod at barangay

By Pinoy 2022
19 dino 2

 

𝗗𝗜𝗟𝗚, 𝗡𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗔𝗬 𝗦𝗔𝗕𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗔𝗡 𝗦𝗔 𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗛 𝗔𝗜𝗗 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗕𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
92.7 Brigada News FM Lucena

May 5, 2020

Naniniwala si Interior Undersecretary Martin Diño na may sabwatang nagaganap sa pagitan ng mga lokal na opisyal at mga tauhan ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) sa pamamahagi ng cash subsidy.

Ayon kay Diño, marami silang natatanggap na reklamo laban sa mga kawani ng DSWD at mga tauhan ng munisipio dahil ito ang may hawak ng ipamamahaging pera.

Nagbabala si Diño sa mga tiwaling local officials na wag kurakutin ang ayuda para sa mga constituents dahil may pabuya nang P30,000 na ibibigay si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa kahit sinong makakapag-timbre ng katiwalian sa pamamahagi ng social amelioration program.

Mababatid na partikular na binanggit ng pangulo kagabi si barangay councilor Danilo Flores ng Agustin sa Hagonoy Bulacan bilang isa sa mga kurap na opisyal.

Sinabi ni Diño na ipina-aresto na nya si Flores.

Matatandaang ang mga opisyal na masasangkot sa iregularidad sa SAP distribution ay makukulong at pagmumultahin hanggang P1 milyon sa ilalim ng Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.

via BNFM National

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RELATED STORIES

Conflict of interest TraPOE bumanat sa pagkasara ng ABS CBN, pero ang social media gusto naman niya busalan

By Pinoy 2022

Nakikinabang ang pamilya ni TraPOE sa ABS CBN Ang Probinsyano (conflict of interest) kaya masama ang loob niya na nasara ang network. Social tragedy daw sa marami. Baka naman financial disaster for her family (FPJ estate, mother Susan Roces). Freedom of speech issue daw. Bakit ang FB gusto naman niya rendahan ang malayang pamamahayag ng mga pangkaraniwang mamamayan. Biased mainstream media kasi hawak ng mayayamang negosyante kaya ang mga pinapaboran lang nito ang sumisikat habang ang social media ay nabibigyan ng boses ang maliliit at inaapi. ABS CBN closure napasangtabi ang COVID 19 reporting.

grace-block-f-b

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ABS-CBN shutdown a social tragedy – Poe

By: Christia Marie Ramos – INQUIRER.net
May 07, 2020

MANILA, Philippines — Stopping the operations of the country’s biggest media network goes beyond shutting down one company, Senator Grace Poe said as she pointed out that the cease and desist order against ABS-CBN was a “tragedy to society.”

“When you threaten one media outlet or when one media outlet is in jeopardy, this also sends out a signal to others that we better be watching our back, we better be careful, and somehow that poses as a threat for others who would like to cover the news fairly,” said Poe, who heads the Senate’s Public Services Committee, on ABS-CBN News Channel on Thursday.

Poe’s statement comes after ABS-CBN went off air Tuesday night following the cease and desist order from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) after the network’s franchise expired on May 4.

The NTC earlier assured Congress that it would grant ABS-CBN provisional authority to continue to operate while its franchise renewal remains pending.

In an Order dated May 5, 2020, however, the NTC directed ABS-CBN to stop operating its television and radio broadcasting stations nationwide “absent a valid Congressional Franchise required by law.”

But Poe said the law should be used to “as a tool for fairness” and “not just used for the caprices of a few.”

The senator then pointed to efforts by the government’s chief lawyer to have ABS-CBN’s franchise revoked.

On February 11, Solicitor General Jose Calida sought the revocation of ABS-CBN’s franchise over alleged violations through a quo warranto petition filed before the Supreme Court.

 

Days before the NTC issued the cease and desist order against ABS-CBN, Calida also warned the agency against granting the network provisional authority in the absence of a legislative franchise.

 

COVID 19: SAP NCR distribution rate – Caloocan 77.45 %, Pasig 76.06%, Valenzuela 66.70%, Marikina 55.51%, Mandaluyong 55.01%, Manila 51.09% and QUEZON CITY at 15.08% (FIFTEEN PERCENT)

By Pinoy 2022
joy not you
Metro Manila LGUs among slowest to give cash aid – DSWD
Ranier Allan Ronda (The Philippine Star)
May 6, 2020 

MANILA, Philippines — Several local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila are among the slowest to release the national government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP) funds, according to an official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Vicente Gregorio Tomas, DSWD-National Capital Region Field Office director, told The STAR yesterday that the DSWD-NCR fully downloaded a total of P12,468,920,000 in SAP funds by April 13. They started the download on April 3.

As of 6 p.m. on May 4, Tomas said only 603,222 families or 38.7 percent of the target SAP beneficiaries in Metro Manila received P4,825,776,000 in SAP funds.

According to figures from the DSWD-NCR, Muntinlupa distributed 10.4 percent of SAP funds as of 6 p.m. on May 4, followed by San Juan at 10.8 percent and Pasay at 11.05 percent.

The LGU with the highest distribution rate is  Caloocan at 77.45 percent of SAP funds; followed by Pasig at 76.06 percent; Valenzuela, 66.70 percent; Marikina, 55.51 percent; Mandaluyong, 55.01 percent; and Manila, 51.09 percent.

The DSWD has yet to issue figures on the release of SAP funds by Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Navotas, Parañaque, Pateros and Taguig.

The Quezon City government said yesterday over 57,000 families have received SAP funds as of Sunday.

The number is expected to be higher as thousands also received subsidies during the ongoing simultaneous payouts in different barangays.

The national government has allocated 377,854 slots to the city for the cash subsidy.

Over 154,000 social amelioration cards have already been submitted as of Sunday, according to the city government.

Mayor Joy Belmonte earlier approved a supplemental budget to provide P4,000 assistance to qualified beneficiaries excluded from the national government program.

Belmonte said there are at least 723,822 families qualified to receive aid in the city.

The Pasig City government yesterday said the distribution of the DSWD’s SAP in the city is almost done and it has begun distributing P8,000 cash assistance under its local SAP for around 160,000 households left out of the national government’s financial aid distribution.

Mayor Vico Sotto added that government employees and other individuals given cash assistance by other aid programs of the national government will be excluded from the list of beneficiaries.

In Valenzuela, more than 230,000 families are expected to receive the third wave of food vouchers starting today.

“We will make sure that in six to seven days, we will finish the food voucher distribution. We will make sure that if not all, almost all… families will receive their food voucher within a week,” Mayor Rex Gatchalian said.

The city government distributed 105,000 food vouchers during the first wave and another 230,000 during the second. – Janvic Mateo, Neil Jayson Servallos, Rey Galupo

ABS CBN to close operations TONIGHT after NTC cease and desist order, ABS CBN option to seek relief (TRO) in court

By Pinoy 2022

abs cbn cease and desist

NTC orders ABS-CBN to stop broadcast operations

By: Neil Arwin Mercad (INQUIRER.net)
May 05, 2020

MANILA, Philippines — The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on Tuesday issued a Cease and Desist Order against ABS-CBN after its legislative franchise expired on May 4.

In an Order dated May 5, the NTC directed ABS-CBN to stop operating its television and radio broadcasting stations nationwide “absent a valid Congressional Franchise required by law.”

Thus, with the expiration of the Republic Act. No 7966, which granted ABS-CBN a 25-year franchise to operate its TV and radio broadcasting stations, NTC said that ABS-CBN “no longer has a valid and subsisting congressional franchise as required by Act No. 3846.

“The NTC Regional Offices shall implement the closure order in their respective areas of jurisdiction,” NTC said in a statement.

The order likewise gives ABS-CBN en days from the receipt of the Order to respond as to why the frequencies assigned to the network should not be recalled.

What happened?

The 11 bills seeking the renewal of franchise of ABS-CBN remain pending before the House committee on legislative franchises, the earliest of which, at least in the 18th Congress, was filed in July 2019.

While the bills were pending in the lower chamber, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on numerous occasions assured that ABS-CBN will not shut down its operations even if its franchises lapses.

On May 4, the same day Congress resumed its sessions from their Lenten break, ABS-CBN’s franchise expired.

In assuring that ABS-CBN will continue its operations while Congress tackles the bills seeking its renewal, House leaders banked on the NTC granting the network a provisional authority to operate.

On March 10, NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba told members of the House that they will follow the advice of the Department of Justice (DOJ), allowing ABS-CBN to operate while its franchise renewal bid is pending in Congress.

Solicitor General’s opposition

On May 3, Solicitor General Jose Calida, who earlier filed a quo warranto petition against ABS-CBN in a move to have the network’s franchise revoked, warned the NTC against granting provisional authority to ABS-CBN.

According to Calida, NTC could not grant provisional authorities to ABS-CBN Corporation and its affiliate, ABS-CBN Convergence, Inc. because it must first secure a franchise from Congress.

Calida said the NTC commissioners could risk subjecting themselves to prosecution under the country’s anti-graft and corruption laws should they issue the “unlawful” provisional authorities to ABS-CBN while not having a franchise.

In response to Calida’s efforts to “pressure” the NTC, Alvarez said that the “Committee on Legislative Franchises will not be dictated upon by any individual or agency as to the manner, schedule, and conduct of its official business.”

Alvarez also posted a warning to NTC: “If the NTC chooses to succumb to the pressure of the Solicitor General, and disregard the commitments they gave under oath, we reserve the right to call them before Congress and explain why they should not be held in contempt.”

Ironically, Alvarez released the statement merely hours before news broke out regarding the cease and desist order against ABS-CBN.

So far, the committee on legislative franchises has only held one hearing—or meeting—to discuss the matter. But during this meeting, no one from ABS-CBN or from the opposition was invited.

Instead, the lawmakers decided to first draft the ground rules for the formal deliberations of the franchise renewal bid of ABS-CBN, which Cayetano earlier deemed to be necessary so that the hearings would not be a “circus.”

 

COVID 19 – Duterte offers 30k to informers on CORRUPT govt. officials who STEAL S.A.P. money, names Barangay Agustin, Hagonoy, Bulacan Kagawad Danilo Flores (caught red handed on video)

By Pinoy 2022

dswd 30k

P30k reward for Reporting Corruption Activities

Rene (CBN News)

0 

President Duterte has promised to give a reward to anyone who reports on government officials who are stealing from government or SAP assistance.

At the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced that President Duterte offered P30,000 to anyone who would help the national government catch the corrupt officials.

“Siya po ay magbibigay ng pabuya na 30,000 pesos sa lahat ng mga magrereport ng local officials na kumakana o kinukurakot ang mga ayuda para sa mahihirap,” sabi ni Spox Roque.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque also said that complainants could call the government hotline 8888.

In a public address, Duterte specifically named Barangay Agustin, Hagonoy, Bulacan Kagawad Danilo Flores who pocketed a large portion of the P6,500 distributed to SAP beneficiaries.