Sen. Risa Hontiveros and SAGIP Partylist Rep. Rodante Marcoleta on 23 November engaged in a heated argument at the Commission on Appointments’ hearing for the confirmation of Gamaliel Cordoba as Commission on Audit (CoA) chair.
Cordoba was National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) commissioner when Congress rejected ABS-CBN’s application for franchise renewal.
Hontiveros grilled Cordoba for his failure to grant the network a temporary permit to operate, despite his previous pronouncement that he will do so once its franchise expired.
“How can you be trusted by the public and how can we trust in your integrity as CoA chair if you (had) violated a commitment that you gave under oath?” Hontiveros asked Cordoba.
Cordoba replied he made the commitment upon consultation with the Justice Department. But the NTC reneged when SolGen José Calida filed a quo warranto petition against ABS-CBN before the Supreme Court.
Hontiveros then pressed Cordoba for “not pushing the envelope” despite ABS-CBN employees standing to lose their job.
Marcoleta, who had figured prominently in the move to deny ABS-CBN its franchise renewal, accused Hontiveros of “belaboring the issue.”
“No network can operate without a franchise, period. The chairman cannot do anything, he will be remiss of his duty. He will violate the law. This is moot and academic,” he said, adding the issue was not about press freedom, but about the franchise.
“Of course it’s about press freedom! Because a broadcasting company was asking for the renewal of its franchise,” Hontiveros exclaimed.
“Because aside from this broadcasting company, millions of their viewers had pinned their hopes on what the NTC chair said, that they could be given a provisional franchise like three other broadcasting companies — GMA-7, TV5, and Subic Broadcasting.”
The heated exchange stopped only when Hontiveros asked to suspend the hearing.
CA Majority Leader Luis Raymund Villafuerte later said Cordoba’s confirmation hearing has been reset to 30 November.