70 vote against ABS-CBN franchise at House committee level, 11 vote in favor

After two months, the measure to give ABS-CBN a fresh 25-year franchise was finally put to vote: 70 voting against granting the network a franchise, 11 in favor, 2 inhibiting and 1 abstain.

The network’s franchise expired on May 4, three years or more after legislations for its franchise extension were filed in Congress. The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issued a cease-and-desist order against the network on May 5, shutting their free-to-air radio and television stations since then.

The Lower House of Congress deliberated on the measure only once before the franchise expired, securing a promise from NTC that they will issue a provisional authority to operate to the network while the legislation remains pending, given the schedule of adjournment and then the COVID-19 lockdown since March 15. The NTC, however, issued a cease-and-desist order.

After finger-pointing among concerned public officials and after much public clamor for the network to be granted a franchise, the bills for ABS-CBN franchise was finally deliberated after Congress adjourned again on May.

The House committee on legislative franchises presented a resolution “denying the franchise application of ABS-CBN Corporation to construct, install, establish, operate and maintain radio and television broadcasting stations in the Philippines”, based on the recommendation of its Technical Working Group.

Given this formulation, a vote of “YES” would mean those in favor of voting against granting the network a franchise. A vote of “NO” would mean voting in favor of granting the network a franchise.

Supporters of ABS-CBN has been posting and making the topic #VoteYesToABSCBN trending since last week.

Those who voted “no” or those in favor of granting the network a franchise:

1. Bienvenido Abante Jr, Manila 6th District
2. Carlos Isagani Zarate, Bayan Muna party-list
3. Christopher De Venecia, Pangasinan 4th District
4. Edward Vera Perez Maceda, Manila 4th District
5. Gabriel Bordado Jr, Camarines Sur 3rd District
6. Jose “Ping-Ping” Tejada, North Cotabato 3rd District
7. Lianda Bolilia, Batangas 4th District
8. Mujiv Hataman, Basilan
9. Sol Aragones, Laguna 3rd District
10. Stella Luz Quimbo, Marikina 2nd District
11. Vilma Santos-Recto, Batangas 6th District

The 12 hearings since May tackled whether ABS-CBN is guilty of violating the Constitution with issues on Gabby Lopez’s citizenship, sale of Philippine Depositary Receipts, the return of network’s facilities to the Lopezes after martial law, and the 50-year limit for mass media franchise, and whether the company had any violations in labor and tax. The latest hearings this week tackled the allegation of bias against ABS-CBN’s reporting

Those who inhibited:

1. Alfred Vargas, Quezon City 5th District
2. Loren Legarda, Antique

Vargas explained his vote on his Twitter account.

pic.twitter.com/rFWdh6IqLx

— Alfred Vargas (@AlfredVargasPH) July 10, 2020

Legarda posted her letter to the committee chairman in her Facebook account on her decision to inhibit from voting.

Those who voted “yes”, or those against granting the network a franchise:

1. Anthony Peter Crisologo – Quezon City 1st District
2. Prescious H. Castelo – Quezon City 2nd District
3. Dale Malapitan – Caloocan 1st District
4. Weslie Gatchalian – Valenzuela 1st District
5. Eric Martinez – Valenzuela 2nd District
6. Rolando Valeriano – Manila 2nd District
7. John Marvin Nieto – Manila 3rd District
8. Cristal Bagatsing – Manila 5th District
9. Camille Villar – Las Piñas City
10. Antonino Calixto – Pasay City
11. Bayani Fernando – Marikina City 1st District
12. Bernadette Herrera-Dy – BH Partylist
13. Raymond Mendoza – TUCP Partylist
14. Eleandro Jesus Madrona – Romblon
15. Faustino Michael Dy – Isabela 5th District
16. Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado – Bulacan 1st District
17. Cyrille Abueg-Zaldivar – Palawan 2nd District
18. Faustino Dy V – Isabela 6th District
19. Divina Grace Yu – Zamboanga Del Sur 1st District
20. Julienne Baronda – Iloilo
21. Luis Ferrer IV – Cavite 6th District
22. Strike Revilla – Cavite 2nd District
23. Samantha Louise Alfonso – Cagayan 2nd District
24. Joaquin Chipeco Jr. – Calamba
25. Eduardo Gullas – Cebu 1st District
26. Atonio Albano – Isabela 1st District
27. Frederick Siao – Iligan
28. Ian Paul Dy – Isabela 3rd District
29. Gil Acosta – Palawan 3rd District
30. Alyssa Sheena Tan – Isabela 4th District
31. Christian Unabia – Misamis Oriental 1st District
32. Abraham Tolentino – Cavite 8th District
33. Rose Arenas – Pangasinan 3rd District
34. Jericho Nograles – PBA Partylist
35. Yedda Romualdez – Leyte 1st District
36. Eric Yap – ACT-CIS Partylist
37. Claudine Bautista – Dumper PTDA Parylist
38. Esmael Mangudadatu – Maguindanao 2nd District
39. Enrico Pineda – 1 PACMAN Partylist
40. Dulce Ann Hofer – Zamboanga Sibugay 2nd District
41. Sharon Garin – AAMBIS-OWA Partylist
42. Arnolfo Teves Jr. – Negros Oriental 3rd District
43. Janette Garin – Iloilo 1st District
44. Paulo Duterte – Davao City 1st District
45. Conrado III Estrella – ABONO Partylist
46. Sandro Gonzales – Marino Partylist
47. Mike Defensor – Anakalusugan Partylist
48. Allan Ty – LPGMA Partylist
49. F. Matugas – Surigao Del Norte 1st District
50. Luis Villafuerte – Camarines Sur 2nd District
51. Raneo Abu – Batangas 2nd District
52. Dan Fernandez – Laguna 1st District
53. Rodante Marcoleta – SAGIP Partylist
54. Henry Oaminal – Misamis Occidental 2nd District
55. Pablo John Garcia – Cebu 3rd District
56. Deogracias ‘DV’ Savellano – Ilocos Sur 1st District
57. F. Datol – Senior Citizens Partylist
58. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez – Leyte 1st District
59. Jesus Crispin Remulla – Cavite 3rd District
60. Juan Miguel Macapagal Arroyo – Pampanga 2nd District
61. Juan Pablo Bondoc – Pampanga 4th District
62. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. – Dasmariñas
63. Xavier Jesus Romualdo – Camiguin
64. Wilter Palma II – Zamboanga Sibugay 1st District
65. Ma. Theresa Collantes – Batangas 3rd District
66. Ria Christina Fariñas – Ilocos Norte 1st District
67. Roger G. Mercado – Southern Leyte
68. Sharee Ann Tan – Samar 2nd District
69. Joseph Stephen Paduano – Abang Lingkod Partylist
70. Jose Singson Jr. – Probinsyano Ako Partylist

Meanwhile, Rep. Alfredo Garbin, Jr. abstained.

Official voting count, detailing ex-officio and representatives using another’s vote as allowed by the rules, certified by Congress yet to be released as of posting.