Iginiit ni dating Supreme Court Associate Justice Noel Tijam na hindi maaaring mapalawig ng National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) ang expired franchise ng ABS-CBN.
Hindi rin daw maaaring makapagbigay ng provisional authority to operate ang NTC kapag paso na ang prangkisa ng isang network.
Maliwanag daw ito sa nakaraang desisyon ng Korte Suprema, kung saan naging Associate Justice siya mula March 2017 hanggang January 2019.
Sa kanyang Facebook post kahapon, May 6, iginiit ng dating mahistrado na Kongreso lamang ang maaaring makapagbigay ng prangkisa sa ABS-CBN upang muli itong makapag-broadcast.
Sabi ni Tijam sa kanyang post na umiikot sa social media: “The franchise expired.
"SC decision in the past is clear.
“Only Congress can grant a franchise.
“The NTC cannot extend an expired franchise and cannot issue a provisional authority to operate.
“When Congress convenes and if Congress grants a franchise, then the franchisee can operate again.”
Ayon pa kay Justice Tijam, maituturing ng "moot" ang inihaing quo warranto petition ni Solicitor General Jose Calida sa Supreme Court dahil napaso na ang prangkisa ng ABS-CBN.
Pero may mga balidong punto raw sa petition na maaring talakayin ng korte, partikular na ang tungkol sa foreign ownership.
Isa sa akusasyon ng SolGen ay ang foreign ownership umano ng ABS-CBN, na labag sa Konstitusyon patungkol sa media entities.
Sabi niya, “The quo warranto petition filed by Solgen Calida before the SC might become moot if the relief prayed for is the cancellation of the franchise because the franchise has already expired.
“But the petition might pose an important constitutional/legal issue as to whether the franchisee violated the Constitution with respect to the prohibition again foreign equity.
“That legal issue must be decided by the SC to guide Congress as to whether a new franchise should be granted.
“Law violators and law breakers are not entitled to a franchise.”
“A FRANCHISE IS A PRIVILEGE”
Sa isa pang post, sinabi ng retiradong mahistrado na hindi na kailangan pang madaliin ng Korte Suprema ang pagdedesisyon sa petition ni Calida.
Maaaring hintayin na lang nila ang Kongreso kung ire-renew ba nito ang prangkisa ng Kapamilya network.
Saad niya, “Since the franchise has expired, there is no more urgency for the SC to decide the Calida Petition.
“More so if members of the SC are divided on the issue of whether the franchisee violated the Constitution or not.
“They can agree not to decide the case till after Congress renews the franchise."
Dagdag ni Tijam, “Strictly speaking, there is no more justiceable controversy to resolve because the franchise has expired.
“The SC does not decide cases to give advisory opinions.
“The issue of whether there was a violation of the Constitution will come into play only once Congress renews the franchise.
“What the public should know is that the SC will decide cases only when it is opportune, only when it is necessary to decide conflicting rights and interest.
Dagdag ni Justice Tijam, “A franchise is a privilege. It is not a demandable right.
“There is presently no dispute that the SC should resolve.
“The ball is in the court of Congress.
Sabi pa niya, “There is no freedom of the press or speech involved since other broadcasting media outlets with valid franchise are still operational.”
Si Justice Tijam ang ponente sa desisyong nagpatalsik sa de facto Chief Justice na si Maria Lourdes Sereno noong 2018.
EX-CHIEF JUSTICE REYNATO PUNO
Napilitang mag-off air ang ABS-CBN noong Martes, May 5.
Napaso ang kanilang 25-year legislative franchise noong Lunes, May 4.
Sa panayam ng One News kay dating Supreme Court Chief Justice (CJ) Reynato Puno noong February 21, 2020, sinabi nitong hindi maaaring makapag-broadcast ang ABS-CBN kapag napaso na ang prangkisa nito pagdating ng March 30, 2020.
Noong panahong iyon, hindi pa natutukoy na May 4, 2020 ang validity ng prangkisa ng istasyon.
Binigyang diin ni Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra na kailangang bilangin ang araw kung kailan napaskil sa pahayagan ang pag-apruba ng franchise ng ABS-CBN noong March 1995.
Ayon kay ex-Chief Justice Puno, ang sitwasyon ng ABS-CBN ay kahalintulad sa desisyon ng Korte Suprema noong February 2003 hinggil sa kaso ng Associated Communications & Wireless Services United Broadcasting Network, Inc. (ACWS) NTC.
Hindi na pinahintulutan ng SC ang ACWS na mag-broadcast nang walang bagong legislative franchise mula sa Kongreso.
Saad ni Puno noon sa kanyang panayam: “Itong ABS-CBN, if franchise expires, cannot get from the National Telecommunications Commission the authority to operate after the expiration of the franchise.
“The National Telecommunications Commission does not have that power.”
Dagdag niya: “Meanwhile that Congress is taking time in deliberating whether to grant or not to grant a new franchise to ABS-CBN, I would like to think that it has only subsidiary powers and one of those subsidiary powers is to preserve the status quo.
“Parang judiciary din 'yan, e.
"Halimbawa, yung Supreme Court assumes jurisdiction over a case, o di ba sila’y mayroong kapangyarihan na mag-issue ng TRO or other lesser writs, ganun din 'yan.”
Si Puno ay nanungkulan bilang Chief Justice ng bansa mula December 2006 hanggang May 2010.
EX-SENIOR ASSOCIATE JUSTICE ANTONIO CARPIO
Ganito rin ang pananaw ni dating Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio sa panayam naman sa kanya ng The Source ng CNN Philippines noong March 10, 2020.
Ayon sa dating mahistrado, hindi maaaring bigyan ng provisional authority ng NTC ang ABS-CBN kapag napaso na ang kontrata nito.
Ang provisional authority ay kautusan para maipagpatuloy ng istasyon ang operasyon nito.
Diin ni Justice Carpio: “I don’t think that the House or committee of the House has the authority to compel NTC to issue a provisional authority.
“In the first place, there’s a separation of power, and secondly, the provisional authority is given only if there is a franchise."
Ang NTC ay bahagi ng executive branch ng gobyerno, at ang Kongreso ay bahagi naman ng legislative branch.
Dagdag pa ni Carpio: “There is no basis to give a provisional authority because there is no franchise.”
Noong February 26, 2020 ay nagpadala ng sulat sa NTC ang House Committee on Legislative Franchises, na pinamumunuan ni Palawan Congressman Franz Alvarez, at pirmado ni House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.
Layon ng sulat na hikayatin ang ahensiya na bigyan ng provisional authority ang ABS-CBN na makapag-broadcast pa rin kapag nag-expire na ang prangkisa nito.
Pero ayon kay Carpio, “By the time the franchise expires, there will be no franchise anymore.
“If there is no franchise, then you cannot issue a provisional authority.
“You can issue a provisional authority between now and May 4 because there is still a franchise.
"A franchise is necessary for a provisional authority.
“When the franchise expires, it is as if there is no franchise at all.
“So, you cannot argue that there was a prior franchise.
“Well, a prior franchise is prior, it's past, now there is none.
“And the requirement for a provisional authority is, there must be a franchise.”
Wala raw kapangyarihan ang Kongreso na pilitin ang NTC na bigyan ng provisional authority ang ABS-CBN.
Pahayag ni Carpio, “Yes, but there is also a joint resolution.
"But when I was still in the court, before I left, I penned a decision that a joint resolution is not a law.
“It’s just… [it] expresses the sense of Congress.
"A joint resolution is not a law.
"And you need a law for a provisional authority.”
Si Senior Associate Justice Carpio ay nanungkulan sa Supreme Court mula October 2001 hanggang October 2019.