Twelve senators voted in favor of the resolution, while 9 senators, including Sen. Pia Cayetano who earlier signed the resolution, abstained. The senators who abstained explained that the issue has already been filed before the Supreme Court and that the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN should emanate from the House of Representatives.
Aside from Cayetano, those who abstained were Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senators Panfilo Lacson, Francis Tolentino, Cynthia Villar, Imee Marcos, Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.
Cayetano, in withdrawing her signature from the resolution, explained that, as a lawyer, she refuses to express her views once the Supreme Court takes over the matter.
Despite the earlier resolution, the NTC issued the CDO on May 4, 2020 ordering the television network to immediately cease operation. ABS-CBN stopped its operation on the night of May 4.
The network filed a petition Thursday last week, saying the NTC “gravely abused” its discretion when it issued a cease-and-desist order instead of deferring to Congress, which has the plenary power to grant and renew legislative franchises.
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After deliberation, the Senate on Monday, May 11, 2020 adopted Senate Resolution 395 expressing the “sense of the Senate” urging the National Telecommunications Commission to reconsider its cease and desist order (CDO) against ABS-CBN.