House panel orders NTC why they should face contempt over ABS-CBN closure

May 11, 2020

The House committee on legislative franchises on Monday ordered National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba and his officials to explain within 72 hours  why they should not be cited in contempt for ordering the closure of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corpo.

Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez, the panel chairman, said NTC officials should explain why Cordoba did not fulfill  his commitment made under oath during the March 10 hearing of his committee that the commission will issue a provisional authority for ABS-CBN to continue operating.

“You are ordered to explain within 72 hours from receipt of this Order why you should not be cited in contempt or proceeded against for issuing an Order to ABS-CBN Corporation to immediately cease and desist from operating its radio and television stations after having assured the House of Representatives, during the hearing of the Committee on Legislative Franchises in 10 March 2020, that the NTC will let the ABS-CBN Corporation continue its operations until Congress has finally disposed of the franchise renewal bills, consistent with precedents and practice and the position of the Department of Justice as well as the clear directive of the House of Representatives that ABS-CBN Corporation should be allowed to continue to operate until such time that Congress has made a decision on its application,” said Alvarez in his order dated May 5.

Alvarez's order was received by the NTC Monday afternoon.

The Alvarez order was addressed to Cordoba and his subordinates that include Deputy Commissioner Edgardo Cabarios, Deputy Commissioner Delilah Deles, and Legal Branch Head Ella Blanca Lopez.

NTC issued a cease-and-desist order stopping the giant network from broadcasting effective midnight of May 4.

But ABS-CBN continues to broadcast its dzMM Teleradyo and ABS-CBN News Channel ( ANC) through its SkyCable platform.

Alvarez reiterated that “the act of the NTC constitutes undue interference on and disobedience to the exercise of the power of the House of Representatives, and therefore, an affront to its dignity and an inexcusable disrespect of its authority.”

“Finding against you for contempt of the House of Representatives and subjecting you to other actions that are within the powers of the House of Representatives to enforce,” Alvarez said. DMS