Umapela ang 14 na kongresista kay Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano na kaagaad i-convene ang House committee on legislative franchises para talakayin ang mga nakabinbin na panukala hinggil sa prangkisa ng ABS-CBN.
Sa liham na may petsang Mayo 12, sinabi ng mga kongresista, na may-akda at co-authors ng panukala, na bagama’t maging sila ay dismayado rin sa hindi pagbibigay ng provisional authority to operate ang broadcast company, panahon na para wakasan naman ng Kamara ang mga usapin hinggil sa franchise renewal application ng network.
“It is in this spirit that we write and appeal to your good office, Mr. Speaker, to facilitate the immediate convening of the Committee on Legislative Franchise so that it can tackle with dispatch the pending renewal bills for consideration,” saad ng mga kongresista.
“We understand that there are important measures that the House Leadership has to attend to in this extraordinary time. However, we believe, too, that resolving the ABS-CBN issue the soonest is equally important given the impact, economically and politically, of its continued shutdown in this time of crisis,” dagdag pa nila.
Kabilang sa mga lumagda sa naturang liham ay sina Pangasinan Representative Rose Marie Arenas, Batangas Representative Vilma Santos-Recto, Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Arlene Brosas, ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro, Nueva Ecija Representative Micaela Violago, Laguna Representative Sol Aragones, atd Parañaque City Representative Joy Myra Tambunting.
Kasama rin sina Surigao Del Sur Representative Johnny Pimentel, Bayan Muna party-list Representatives Carlos Zarate, Ferdinand Gaite and Eufemia Cullamat, Occidental Mindoro Representative Josephine Ramirez-Sato, Cagayan De Oro City Representative Rufus Rodriguez, at Kabataan party-list Representative Sarah Jane Elago.
Noong Lunes lang ay naglabas ang House committee on legislative franchises ng show cayse order laban sa mga opisyal ng National Telecommunications Commission para magpaliwanag kung bakit hindi sila dapat ipa-contempt sa paglalabas ng cease and desist order laban sa ABS-CBN.
