SC to ABS-CBN:

Submit comment on
quo warranto
petition in 10 days
By: Tetch Torres-Tupas - Reporter / @T2TupasINQ
INQUIRER.net / 01:57 PM February 11, 2020

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered media

network giant ABS-CBN to comment on the quo warranto petition, which
seeks to repeal its license to operate, filed by the Office of the Solicitor
General (OSG).

SC’s Public Information Chief and Spokesperson Atty. Brian Keith Hosaka
said ABS-CBN Corp. and ABS-CBN Convergence Inc. have 10 days to
submit their comment.
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“Acting on the Quo Warranto Petition filed by Solicitor General Calida on

behalf of the Republic against respondents ABS CBN Corp. and ABS CBN
Convergence Inc., the Supreme Court in today’s En Banc session required
the respondents to file their comment to the said petition for Quo
Warranto within a non-extendible period of 10 days from receipt of
notice,” Hosaka told reporters.

Hosaka added the order to comment also covers OSG’s plea to

immediately stop the operation of the Kapamilya Box Office.

“The comment likewise pertains to the prayer of the Solicitor General for
the issuance of a TRO (temporary restraining order) or writ of
preliminary injunction to enjoin ABS-CBN Corporation from further
operating the KBO Channel and offering it to the public,” Hosaka further
said.

The high court’s period to comment was five days more than what
Solicitor General Jose Calida has requested. Calida wants the high court to
only give ABS-CBN five days to comment and requested a March 3-oral
argument on the petition.
But Hosaka said that “there was no order setting the case for oral
argument.”

On Monday, Solicitor General Jose Calida personally filed the quo

warranto petition against ABS-CBN before the SC. According to the chief
government lawyer, ABS-CBN violated the provisions of its franchise.

Palace: No need for

Duterte to consult
Cabinet on
terminating VFA
By: Darryl John Esguerra - Reporter / @DJEsguerraINQ
INQUIRER.net / 02:33 PM February 10, 2020
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MANILA, Philippines — There’s no need for President Rodrigo Duterte to

consult members of his Cabinet on his decision to order the termination
of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States,
Malacañang said Monday.

“The President is the chief architect (of the government), hindi siya
kailangang mag-consult (there’s no need for him to consult the Cabinet),”
presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

“Kung meron siyang (Maybe if he has) doubts on certain areas, that’s the
time he will consult (them),” he added.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., in a recent Senate foreign

relations committee hearing on the termination of VFA, said that he,
along with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and the Presidential
Commission on the Visiting Forces Agreement, was not consulted by
Duterte on his decision to terminate the military pact.

But Panelo, who is also Duterte’s chief legal counsel, said that members of
the Cabinet “fully” support the President’s move.
He also said Duterte has been studying the move after the US Senate
demanded the release of Senator Leila De Lima, a staunch critic of the
President who has been in detention since 2017 over drug-related
charges.

Duterte has ordered the termination of the military pact after the US
canceled the visa of his longtime confidant Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela
Rosa, who has also led the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs.

Dela Rosa, who was Duterte’s chief of police from 2016 to 2018, said the
US Embassy did not explain why his visa was voided but he
acknowledged it has something to do with alleged extrajudicial killings
under his watch.

Signed in 1998, the VFA accords legal status to US troops who are rotated
in the country for military exercises and humanitarian assistance
operations.

‘Halata naman
masyado’: Duterte
teases Bong Go
about targeting
Presidency
By: Darryl John Esguerra - Reporter / @DJEsguerraINQ
INQUIRER.net / 06:15 PM February 06, 2020

FROM ASSISTANT TO SENATOR This file photo shows then-incoming

Senator-elect Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go posing beside President
Rodrigo Duterte, who is seen signing documents after Go’s oathtaking as a
senator. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday teased his

longtime aide and now Senator Christopher “Bong” Go about supposedly
having aspirations for the presidency, noting how the neophyte legislator
frequently visits fire victims.
“Maybe he wants to be President, kasi lahat ng sunog nandun siya
(because he’s always visiting fire victims),” Duterte said in a speech
before newly-appointed government officials.
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“Halata man masyado. Nauuna kapa sa… eh wala pang sunog nandun ka,
nandun kana eh. Ikaw ata tiga-sindi. Nauna kapa dun sa bumbero. ‘Wag
mo masyadong sobrahan baka mahalata,” he added.

(It’s pretty obvious. You’re ahead of the… you’re already there even
there’s no fire yet. Maybe you’re the one igniting it. You arrive way before
firefighters. Don’t do it too much or they might notice it.)

Go rose to political limelight from being Duterte’s special

assistant. He earned a seat in the Senate and ranked third in the May
2019 midterm elections, preceded only by veteran Senators Cynthia Villar
and Grace Poe.

Senate resolution
asking Duterte to
rethink VFA
abrogation filed
By: Maila Ager - Reporter / @MAgerINQ
INQUIRER.net / 03:12 PM February 03, 2020

MANILA, Philippines — A resolution was filed in the Senate on Monday

requesting President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider his planned
revocation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the
Philippines and the United States pending its review by the chamber.

Senate Resolution No. 312 was initiated by Senate President Vicente “Tito”
Sotto III, Senator Panfilo Lacson, and Senate Minority Leader Franklin
Drilon.
Sotto, in a text message, said he expects that “most, if not all” members of
the chamber would support the resolution.

“A careful deliberation of these matters must be taken into account

before finally arriving at a decision which will ultimately affect not only
the security and economy of the Philippines but also that of our
neighboring countries in the Asia Pacific region,” the resolution reads.

“Now, therefore, be it resolved, as it is hereby resolved to express as it

hereby expresses the sense of the Senate to earnestly request the
President to reconsider his planned abrogation of the Visiting Forces
Agreement in the meantime that the Senate is conducting a review and
impact assessment with the end view of ensuring the continued safety
and security of the Philippines and the Asia Pacific and maintain the
existing balance of power within the region,” it added.

Duterte has ordered the VFA’s termination after the US revoked the visa
of his close ally, former police chief and now Senator Ronald “Bato” dela
Rosa.

The senators conceded that the President has the sole authority in the
country’s external affairs “being the chief architect of the nation’s foreign
policy in the conduct of the external affairs of the nation.”

They, however, appealed that the Senate be given first the opportunity to
review and assess the impact of the VFA withdrawal before the
Philippine government pushes through with its plan.

“Fully recognizing the authority of the Chief Executive and without

intending to disrespect a co-equal body, prior to unilaterally terminating
the VFA, the Senate should be given the opportunity to conduct a review
and assessment of the impact of the withdrawal on the country’s security
and economy, specifically with regard to intelligence information
sharing, military aid and financing, and technical assistance extended by
the United States relative to the continuing threats posed by domestic and
foreign terrorist groups, and ultimately to the stability and security in the
Asia Pacific region,” the resolution states.

“As a policy body, the Senate should likewise give its view and opinion on
the repercussions that the said unilateral withdrawal will entail to the
existing MTD and the EDCA with the United States of America.”
MTD refers to the Mutual Defense Treaty while EDCA refers to the
Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

Schedule to tackle
ABS-CBN’s franchise
up to House leaders,
says solon
By: Neil Arwin Mercado - Reporter / @NAMercadoINQ
INQUIRER.net / 05:38 PM February 11, 2020

MANILA, Philippines — The waiting goes on for the House of

Representatives’ action on the pending bills calling for the renewal of
ABS-CBN’s legislative franchise. But when will the lower chamber finally
deal with the measures?

“To be honest here, it is up to the leadership of Congress – the Speaker,

the House committee chair, and our leaders – to decide when to hear it,”
according to Isabela Rep. Antonio “Tonypet” Albano, vice-chairperson of
the House committee on legislative franchises.
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Franchise of the country’s largest broadcasting company is set to lapse on

March 30, 2020, or 48 days from today. But as of Tuesday, February 11,
the matter has yet to be scheduled for a hearing by House panel.

Currently, there are 11 pending bills in the lower chamber seeking the
renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise.

Albano said the committee is also handling other proposed measures.

“It doesn’t mean that if you filed a petition for us to hear the case right
away that the leadership and the House committee on legislative
franchises will hear it right away because we do have a schedule also to
follow,” Albano told reporters.
Albano, however, assured that the House committee on legislative
franchises will tackle ABS-CBN’s franchise even saying that it was among
the topics in the committee’s closed-door meetings.

“We assure the public later on that we will hear the case because our
chairman and the leadership of the House, in particular, have been
closely monitoring the events but we also have a lot of other issues to
tackle before we can tackle the ABS-CBN franchise,” Albano said.

“As vice chairman of the committee on franchise, I know for a fact that
we are already having closed-door meetings about this especially that the
issue has caught up and especially that the deadline is there. But of
course we submit to the leadership of the House, the chairperson to be
able to hold this committee on franchise nitong (of) ABS-CBN,” he added.

Albano explained the closed-door meetings were being held so that they
will not be “pressured by any sides.”

“Remember that it is stated in the Constitution that Congress is the sole

prerogative entity that is tackling all the franchises here in the
Philippines so this is one of the reasons why we wanted closed-door
sessions is that we didn’t want any pressure from anyone in particular so
that our decisions will not be biased in the end when we start hearing the
cases,” the lawmaker said.

ABS-CBN: ‘We are

not a perfect
organization’
Thanks everyone for “overwhelming support”

By: Darryl John Esguerra - Reporter / @DJEsguerraINQ

INQUIRER.net / 06:35 PM February 12, 2020

MANILA, Philippines — Broadcasting company ABS-CBN on Wednesday

vowed to “maintain the highest level of integrity” even as it recognized
being “not a perfect organization.”
This statement came amid swelling calls for the government to renew the
franchise of the media network giant and after Solicitor General Jose
Calida moved to stop its operations allegedly due to violations in its
franchise terms.
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The embattled network also thanked everyone who has expressed their
“overwhelming support”.

“While we are not a perfect organization, we assure the public that we

strive to maintain the highest level of integrity as we work to deliver
services that many Filipinos believe to be important and meaningful to
them,” the network said.

Calida, the Duterte government’s top lawyer, has asked the Supreme

Court to revoke the existing franchise of ABS-CBN Corporation and its
subsidiary, ABS-CBN Convergence Inc., for allegedly violating the rules set
by Congress.  
Several bills seeking to renew the franchise of ABS-CBN for another 25
years remain pending before the House Committee on Legislative
Franchises. Its existing franchise will expire on March 30.
The media network said it will answer Calida’s accusations in “a more
detailed response to the Supreme Court.”

According to Isabela 1st District Antonio Albano, who serves as House

Committee on Legislative Franchise vice-chairperson, ABS-CBN may still
be allowed to operate even after its franchise lapses.

The network said it appreciates Albano’s statement, as well as his

commitment to go through the franchise renewal process at the
appropriate time.

“We trust in this promise,” ABS-CBN said.

Since taking power, President Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly vowed to
put ABS-CBN out of business due to its failure to air his presidential
campaign advertisements in 2016. 
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But Duterte’s spokesman and legal counsel Salvador Panelo claimed that
the President’s threats are part of his freedom to express and have
nothing to do with Calida’s work.
‘Bato’ admits being
bothered by
conscience over VFA
termination
By: Maila Ager - Reporter / @MAgerINQ
INQUIRER.net / 05:27 PM February 11, 2020

MANILA, Philippine — Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Tuesday

admitted feeling bothered by his part in the looming termination of the
Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States.
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Speaking to reporters, dela Rosa said he had some feelings of guilt,

considering that the cancellation of his US visa had triggered President
Rodrigo Duterte to issue the ultimatum to the US, subsequently resulting
in the abrogation of the accord.
“Medyo bothered din ako kahit papaano dahil parang lumalabas na I am
the reason of it all, lalong-lalo na yung mga  tao na hindi makakaintindi,
talagang they are there to crucify you because of what happened, so
medyo bothered,” dela Rosa said in an interview at the Senate on
Tuesday.

(I am bit bothered somehow, because it appears I am the reason for all of

it. Those people especially who could not understand, they are really
there to crucify you because of what happened, so I am a bit bothered.)

Dela Rosa insisted that the cancellation of his visa, was just one incident,
but there are other incidents that prompted the President’s action.

“Sinasabi ko nga sa inyo, bothered nga ako, nakukunsensya nga ako.

Kung pwede lang hindi sana ako ang naging last straw but nangyari na
ang nangyari. Ako yung naging last straw so panindigan natin yung ating
pagiging Filipino… It was an accumulation of gripes and mga disrespect
na ginawa ng kabila dito sa atin so yun na ang nangyari,”  he said. He did
not elaborate what actions of the US he was referring to.
(As I said, my conscience is bothering me. If only what happened to me
wasn’t the last straw, but it already happened. It became the last straw, so
I will just carry on being a Filipino… It was an accumulation of gripes and
disrespects that they did to us, so that’s what happened)

The senator recognized that the VFA termination would have a big
impact on the country.

But since the notice of termination has already been sent to the US, then
there is nothing left to do but to move forward, he said.

“Sabi nga nila, it’s better to have a Philippines being run like hell by
Filipinos than run like heaven by Americans,” he said.

Palace journos
deplore shots vs
press freedom amid
ABS-CBN franchise
issue
By: Darryl John Esguerra - Reporter / @DJEsguerraINQ
INQUIRER.net / 04:26 PM February 12, 2020

MANILA, Philippines — Members of the Malacañang Press Corps (MPC)

on Wednesday expressed support to media network giant ABS-CBN after
Solicitor General Jose Calida sought the cancellation of its legislative
franchise.
In a statement, MPC stressed that it stands for the protection of the
Constitutionally-backed Freedom of the Press and Right to Information.
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https://twitter.com/DJEsguerraINQ/status/1227504548152897536
“In light of the recent developments, particularly to ABS-CBN’s franchise
issue, the MPC deplores any attempt to curtail these freedoms, in any way
and form,” it said.
Calida, the Duterte government’s top lawyer, has asked the Supreme
Court to revoke the existing franchise of ABS-CBN Corporation and its
subsidiary, ABS-CBN Convergence Inc., for allegedly violating the rules set
by Congress.
Several bills seeking to renew the franchise of ABS-CBN for another 25
years remain pending before the House Committee on Legislative
Franchises. Its existing franchise will expire on March 30.
MPC said it has taken a stand against threats on members of the press
and will continue to firmly advocate respect for press freedom as an “act
of solidarity” with ABS-CBN. 
“In recent years, the MPC has taken a stand against threats and attacks on
press freedom, including efforts to spread fake news and discredit the
traditional media. Once more, the MPC firmly advocates respect for press
freedom as an act of solidarity with ABS-CBN,” MPC said.
 
MPC vowed to “remain vigilant against attempts to weaponize legal
remedies and processes to suppress free expression” which it called a
“key component of a healthy democracy and a right enshrined in the
constitution.”
 
President Rodrigo Duterte has publicly vowed to put the media network
and its subsidiaries out of business due to its failure to air his presidential
campaign advertisements in 2016. 

Critics have said the President is on the warpath against ABS-CBN and
other media entities critical of his policies, particularly his brutal drug
war that has drawn local and international condemnation.
But Duterte’s spokesman and legal counsel Salvador Panelo claimed the
President’s threats are part of his freedom of expression and have
nothing to do with Calida’s move.

PH troops have high

morale despite VFA
scrapping, says AFP
chief
By: Maila Ager - Reporter / @MAgerINQ
INQUIRER.net / 03:00 PM February 12, 2020

 
MANILA, Philippines — The morale of the country’s armed forces
remains high despite the Philippines’ decision to scrap the Visiting
ForcesAgreement (VFA) with the United States.
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“We are all high morale. Sino ang hindi may (Who does not have) high
morale with the love and care of the President,” Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) chief of staff, General Felimon Santos, said in an
interview at the Senate on Wednesday.
“Dinoble ang sweldo mo, tapos lagi kang ina-appreciate ng President in
all engagement. Nadidinig n’yo naman siguro. Sino pa ba ang magagalit
dyan? Wala siguro.”
(Your pay was doubled, and then the President always appreciates you in
all engagement. Maybe you also hear that. So who’s going to get angry
with that? Maybe no one.)
While some might have expressed their personal views on the VFA
scrapping, Santos reiterated that it has not affected the morale of the
armed forces.
“Sinong sundalo ngayon ang low morale? Pakitanong nga isa-isa. Wala
siguro,” he stressed.
(Can you find a soldier now with low morale? Can you ask them one by
one. Maybe no one.)
Hence, the country’s top military official believes there is no longer a
need to conduct loyalty check within the organization.
“We are loyal ever since,” Santos said.
The AFP chief said he was not dismayed by the abrogation of VFA as it
would make the Philippines “more eager to build up our capability.”
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On Tuesday, the Philippine government formally sent to the US the notice

of termination of the VFA.