Amendment to R.A. No. 1272 (Grant of Franchise to Monserrat Broadcasting System)

June 21, 1969

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 5910

AN ACT AMENDING THE TITLE AND CERTAIN SECTIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED TWELVE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-TWO, ENTITLED "AN ACT GRANTING THE MONSERRAT BROADCASTING SYSTEM, INCORPORATED, A TEMPORARY PERMIT TO CONSTRUCT, MAINTAIN AND OPERATE RADIO BROADCASTING STATIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES"

SECTION 1. The title of Republic Act Numbered Twelve hundred and seventy-two is hereby amended to read as follows:

"An Act granting the Monserrat Broadcasting System, Incorporated, a franchise to construct, maintain and operate radio broadcasting stations in the Philippines."

SECTION 2. Sections one, two, three, four and five of the same Act are hereby amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 1. Subject to the provisions of the Constitution, as well as of Act Numbered Thirty-eight hundred and forty-six, entitled "An Act providing for the regulation of radio stations and radio communications in the Philippine Islands, and for other purposes"; Act Numbered Thirty-nine hundred and ninety-seven, known as the Radio Broadcasting Law; Commonwealth Act Numbered One hundred and forty-six, known as the Public Service Act, and their amendments, and other applicable laws, the Monserrat Broadcasting System, Incorporated, is hereby granted a franchise for a period of fifty years from the approval of this amendatory Act, to construct, maintain and operate, for commercial purposes and in the public interest, radio broadcasting stations in the Philippines: Provided, That the grantee shall provide adequate public service time to enable the Government, through the stations herein authorized, to reach the population on important issues; shall assist in the functions of public information and education; shall conform to the ethics of honest enterprise; and shall not use said stations for the broadcasting of obscene or indecent language or speech, or for the dissemination of deliberately false information or willful misrepresentation, or to the detriment of the public health, or to incite, encourage or assist in subversive or treasonable acts.

"Sec. 2. The grantee shall file a bond in the amount of fifty thousand pesos to guaranty for the full compliance and fulfillment of the conditions under which this franchise is granted. If after four years from the date of the approval of this Act, the grantee shall have fulfilled said conditions, or as soon thereafter as the grantee shall have fulfilled the same, the bond aforesaid shall be cancelled by the Government.

"Sec. 3. In the event of any competing individual, partnership or corporation receiving from the Congress a similar temporary permit or franchise in which there shall be any term or terms more favorable than those herein granted or tending to place the herein grantee at any disadvantage, then such term or terms shall, ipso facto, become a part of the term hereof and shall operate equally in favor of the grantee as in the case of said competing individual, partnership or corporation.

"Sec. 4. In the event of war, rebellion, insurrection or similar national crisis and the Government shall find it necessary to maintain and operate for itself any or all of the radio broadcasting stations herein authorized, the grantee shall temporarily turn over such station or stations to the Government after payment of just and reasonable compensation for the use thereof.

"Sec. 5. The grantee shall be liable to pay the same taxes on its real estate, buildings and personal property, exclusive of the franchise, as other person or corporations are now or hereafter may be required by law to pay."

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. cd i

Enacted without Executive approval, June 21, 1969.

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 66, No. 10, p. 2298 on March 9, 1970