NTC urged to recall order vs ABS-CBN

LEGAZPI CITY--- Ako Bicol partylist Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr, has urged the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) to recall the cease and desist order (CDO) it issued on Tuesday, May 5, against TV and radio broadcasting giant ABS-CBN Corporation.

Garbin said the move of NTC is inappropriate and insensitive to the plight of the Filipino people amidst the fight against the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

This CDO is a complete turnaround from the NTC’s assurance made on Mar. 10, 2020 that it would issue a provisional authority for ABS-CBN, as requested in a letter by the House of Representatives’ Committee on Legislative Franchises, Garbin said.

Along with the position taken by the Secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and of Congress, the NTC should have acceded to the directive for the issuance of a provisional authority sans any court order to the contrary, he said.

“ABS CBN plays a huge role in our fight against the virus, not only in terms of information dissemination, but also in terms of civil society assistance to the government efforts and in securing employment to the thousands of its employees,” Garbin said.

“I thus implore the NTC to immediately recall its CDO, not only out of respect to Congress and the Secretary of Justice, but also, both as compliance with laws and precedents and out of delicadeza to the Filipino people,” he said.

The Ako Bicol solon pointed out that the secretary of DOJ had been unequivocal in his position that the issuance of the provisional authority is legal and justified and the equitable course of action.