Liberty wants license to operate in Zambales

Written by Lenie Lectura -Business Mirror
LIBERTY Broadcasting Network Inc. (LBNI) is asking the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) that it be allowed to operate within the territorial jurisdiction of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the province of Zambales.

The company asked the NTC to declare and include the province of Zambales, including the territorial area of SBMA, in its certificates of public convenience 93-380 and 97-292.

“If granted, the motion we filed will render the motion for clarification moot and academic. Wherefore, it is most respectfully prayed of this commission to cancel the hearing and suspend the proceedings until and after the final adjudication of the omnibus motion,” said LBNI.

But SBMA, which is the sole provider of telecommunications services in Subic, is opposing this. It said that Liberty’s motion is not compliant with the three-day notice rule.

To this, LBNI pointed out that “the omnibus motion, being defective in form, cannot in any way prevent the continuation of the proceedings. The hearing must inevitably proceed.”

NTC director Edgardo Cabarios said SBMA argued that it has the authority to operate in the area and that LBNI should not come in.

“The case is still pending. We still have yet to determine if we can grant LBNI’s request considering that SBMS is the sole provider in the area. Besides that the legal proceedings are being questioned,” said Cabarios.

LBNI holds a Congressional franchise to provide telecommunication and broadcast services via Republic Act 4154, which was approved on June 20, 1964.