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<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-7/abs-cbn-supreme-court.webp" alt="ABS-CBN" />
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(ABS-CBN Supreme Court petition)
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According to unimpeachable sources in the high court, the magistrates were inclined to dismiss the petition filed by the network, asking the tribunal to stop the implementation of the closure order issued by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).
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Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta recently stated that ABS-CBN's petition would be included in the agenda this week.  It was scheduled to be tackled during the court's en banc session on July 14.
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The sources said the justices would wait for the recommendations of the ponente to the case — Senior Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe — following the decision of the House Committee on Legislative Franchises denying the grant of a franchise to the giant network.  One source said:
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"There will be adjustments to be done by the justices in view of the recent ruling of Congress denying the franchise of ABS-CBN." 
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Another source said with the lawmakers' decision denying the grant of a fresh franchise, the petition would likely be dismissed for being moot.
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This means that the Supreme Court will not issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) in favor of ABS-CBN.  Another source said:
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"The court will adjust to the ruling of Congress denying the franchise, the case is expected to become moot and academic already."
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Voting 70 against 11, the House Committee on Legislative Franchises refused to grant a franchise to ABS-CBN, citing a series of violations, among them the United States citizenship of its Chairman Emeritus Eugenio Gabriel Lopez 3rd, labor abuses, tax avoidance and issuance of Philippine depositary receipts.
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In its petition for certiorari and prohibition filed, ABS-CBN asked the high court to issue a TRO and/or writ of preliminary injunction against the NTC.
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It claimed that the network's right to due process and equal protection of the laws and freedom of speech was violated when the NTC issued the cease and desist order against the company.
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On Monday, July 13, 2020, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano stood by the committee's decision to deny a fresh franchise grant to ABS-CBN Corporation Cayetano said in a statement posted on his official Facebook page:
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"It wasn't the government who shut ABS-CBN down, rather it was their owners' playing fast and loose with our laws in the past decades that made the shutdown inevitable." 
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He assailed ABS-CBN's alleged tax avoidance schemes to benefit its commercial interests in the use of public airwaves.
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"Their methods for avoiding taxes in the billions of pesos may appear ‘legal,' but how can you argue that putting that much money in the pockets of one family, instead of having it benefit the millions of Filipinos who desperately need it, is in any way right or moral?"
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Cayetano added that "something has gone terribly wrong with the system" in the difference of taxes paid by GMA Network that amounted to P3.13 billion from 2017 to 2019, compared to ABS-CBN's P563 million for the same period, despite it "being a bigger company that usually has bigger annual income."
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Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said concerned sectors could pursue people's initiative to revive the franchise of ABS-CBN, but Malacañang might also delay such process by questioning it before the Supreme Court.  Drilon said:
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"The people's Initiative is an available remedy. Malacañang has raised doubts on the availability of the people initiative to enact a franchise," Drilon continued. "The Constitution and the law do not exclude the enactment of a franchise and does not make any distinction on the kind of law that can be enacted directly by the people through a people's initiative."
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"Where the law does not distinguish, we should not distinguish. But Malacañang can raise the issue to the Supreme Court to delay the people's initiative."
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Senate President Vicente Sotto III, however, is not optimistic about the success of such idea, saying:
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 "I doubt if it’s possible. The proponents should first check on the Constitution."
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“A private bill is mandated by the Constitution to be exclusively under the House of Representatives. Another doubtful issue is if Comelec has funds for it,” he added, referring to the Commission on Elections.
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<strong>Sources</strong>: 
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<ol class="article-sources">
<li>
Court eyes dismissal of ABS-CBN petition, Jomar Canlas with Bernadette Tamayo, July 14, 2020 <a href="https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/07/14/news/headlines/court-eyes-dismissal-of-abs-cbn-petition/741543/" class="news_link" target="_blank" title="Source">The Manila Times</a>
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Sources: Supreme Court is considering to dismiss ABS-CBN petition to stop closure order