MANILA, Philippines — At least 13 senators on Thursday urged the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to reconsider the cease-and-desist order it issued against ABS-CBN after its franchise lapsed on May 4. ABS-CBN, one of the country’s major broadcast networks, was forced off the air after the NTC ordered the shutdown of its television and radio broadcasting stations nationwide “absent a valid congressional franchise required by law.”ADVERTISEMENTThirteen senators filed Senate Resolution No. Senators have previously adopted a resolution in March authorizing the NTC to grant provisional authority to ABS-CBN as Congress deliberates on its franchise renewal application. The NTC assured both chambers of Congress that it would issue a provisional authority to ABS-CBN but a day after the network’s franchise expired, the commission ordered its shutdown. On Thursday, ABS-CBN filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to temporarily stop the implementation of the cease-and-desist order the NTC issued against the network.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer May 07, 2020 09:26 UTC