BANTAY RADYO MAY FIGURE AGAIN IN LOCAL POLITICS

WHEN WILL IT BE BACK? President Duterte last March 6 signed into law (Republic Act #10794) the House bill that would extend the franchise of Siam Broadcasting Corp. for radio and TV facilities for another 25 years. (The bill was filed by Camiguin Rep. Xavier Jesus Romualdo, not by a Cebu legislator.)

The radio stations that it owns include the controversial Bantay Radyo (dyDD in Metro Cebu, dyHH in Bogo City and dyZZ in Guiholngan, Negros Oriental).

Just after the Regional Trial Court issued a 60-day restraining order in July 2015 against the take-over of Bantay Radyo by Cebu CFI Community Cooperative, unidentified “burglars” stole the “exciters” of the radio stations and silenced them. Since then, Bantay Radyo has been off the air.

Bantay Radyo couldn’t operate just when it was most needed: on the stretch towards the 2016 elections. Pafi Technology Resource Center, controlled by then Provincial Board member Gigi Sanchez-Zaballero, managed Bantay Radyo but Siam didn’t renew the contract. Bantay Radyo was taken out of the information and advertising scene during that election season.

Bantay Radyo had transferred to the CFI Bldg. along M. Velez St., which presumes it owns the management contract, not Pafi. What about the RTC restraining order? With an unenforced TRO, would Gigi pursue the litigation? And when will it return on air?