Sale of RPN-9 questioned

ment Corporation President Wilson Tieng Tieng.

Solar owns 34 percent of the common shares of RPN-9 while another 32 pe percent is held by the Benedicto family’s Far Eastern Managers and Investors, Inc. The government holds 20 percent share in the company, and the remaining 14 percent is owned by several private individuals.

Solar has renamed the broadcasting company Aliw Channel, after the Aliw Broadcasting Corporation which is reportedly a radio network owned by Cabangon- Chua.

Solar News has also announced in its website that Solar News Channel would officially be known now as 9TV and Solar News will now be known as 9News.

“This representation is concerned that in this ongoing sale and resale of RPN-9, vested rights of television workers, their security of tenure and retirement benefits, among others, will be compromised,” Ridon explained.

The lawmaker cited the experience on labor relations of another public utility, Philippine Airlines, which he referred to as “a testament on the extent of what labor had lost in the unabated private management of public utilities, which includes the moratorium on collective bargaining agreements, contractualization, disaggregation of business departments into independent corporations, among others.”

“A review of the RPN-9 franchise is the primary step to determine whether the private operators remain faithful to its public commitment, including its commitment to labor,” Ridon concluded.

The sale of the government- run RPN- 9 that has recently partnered with world-renowned CNN-TimeWarCNN-TimeWarner, Inc. could be illegal.

Kabataan Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon aired this apprehension as he called for a review of the legislative franchise of the Radio Philippines Network, Inc. or RPN- 9, a government- sequestered electronic media network. Ridon filed House Resolution No.1644 which calls for a congressional inquiry into the purchase.

Ridon said the majority stake in the broadcasting firm was recently purchased by media mogul and former ambassador Antonio CabangonChua.

He said Cabangon- Chua’s purchase of the majority stake in RPN-9 might have violated its legislative franchise as stipulated in Republic Act NO. 9250.

“Section 13 of Republic Act No. 9250, the legislative franchise of RPN-9, expressly prohibits the grantee to lease, transfer, grant the usufruct of, sell or assign the franchise or the rights and privileges acquired thereunder to any person or entity without the approval of Congress,” Ridon pointed out.

The opposition solon also noted that a “furthering provision under Section 13 also disallows the transfer of the controlling interest, ‘ whether as a whole or in parts and whether simultaneously and contemporaneously’ to any person or entity without the approval of Congress.”

Recent newspaper accounts have reported the purchase by business tycoon Cabangon-Chua of the majority stake of RPN- 9 from Solar Entertain-