Philippines: PIMENTEL ASSAILS CONTINUED DELAY IN PRIVATIZING CHANNELS 9 AND 13

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Nene” Q. Pimentel,
Jr. (PDP-Laban) today expressed dismay over the
long-stalled government plan to privatize two
sequestered television networks — Radio Philippine
Network-Channel 9 and Intercontinental Broadcasting
Corporation-Channel 13 that have prevented them from
upgrading their programs to survive the stiff
competition in the broadcast industry.

Pimentel decried that the privatization package for
RPN-9 and IBC-13, which was drawn up by a reputable
private investment firm at considerable cost to the
government a few years ago, has been put to naught
because of unresolved legal disputes over the
ownership of these networks.

He said it is very unfortunate that more than two
decades after the two TV networks were sequestered by
the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG),
the ownership issue is still locked up in court
litigation.

“I am really amazed that after 21 years, they still do
not know who are the real owners. RPN-9 and IBC-13 are
still under the category of sequestered firms in the
government which is contrary to the government’s free
market policies,” he said.

Information furnished by finance and press officials
of the executive branch to the Senate revealed that in
the case of RPN-9, the estate of the late Ambassador
Roberto Benedicto is trying to reclaim up to 40
percent equity of the broadcast network.

The ownership cases involving the two sequestered TV
firms are still pending in the Court of Appeals, the
Sandiganbayan and the Supreme Court.

Pimentel said the inordinate delay in the
privatization of RPN-9 and IBC-13 is unfair to their
employees who continue to suffer due to the declining
advertising revenues.

He said he has received complaints from the employees
that their salaries are oftentimes delayed owing to
the poor financial conditions of their companies.

Worse, he said the management of IBC-13 has allegedly
entered into some sweetheart deals with some favored
blocktimers which are unfavorable to the network and
prejudicial to the employees.

Pimentel said the employees of RPN-9 and IBC-13, many
of whom have stayed with these companies for several
years, have expressed willingness to be separated or
retired but the payment of their benefits will be
derived from the proceeds of the sale of the networks.

He said the employees are very much worried that if a
large part of the proceeds of the sale will go to
claimant-owners and creditors, the money that will be
left may be insufficient for their retirement and
separation benefits.

Pimentel said the government’s indecision in sorting
out the obstacles to the privatization of RPN-9 and
IBC-13 merely fuels the suspicion that they are being
kept under state control because they are useful as
propaganda outlets for the Arroyo administration,
specially during elections.

“We know very well that during election time, the
television time over Channels 9 and 13 are devoted
mainly to government political propaganda, thereby
depriving the opposition of equal time as mandated by
the regulations of the Commission on Elections,” he
said.
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