Republic Act No. 9743

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representative of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section 1

Section 13 of Republic Act No. 9119 is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SECTION 13. Sale, Lease, Transfer, Usufruct, etc. - The grantee shall not lease, transfer, grant the usufruct of sell nor assign this franchise or the rights and privileges acquired thereunder to any person, firm, company, corporation or other commercial or legal entity, nor merge with any other corporation or entity, nor shall the controlling interest of the grantee be transferred, whether as a whole or in parts and whether simultaneously or contemporaneously, to any such person, firm, company, corporation or entity without the prior approval of the Congress of the Philippines: Provided, That the foregoing limitation shall not apply to: (a) any transfer or issuance of shares to any investor pursuant to or in connection with any increase in the grantee's authorized capital stock which shall result in the dilution of the stockholdings of the grantee's then existing stockholders; (b) any transfer or sale of shares of stock to an investor or investors; (c) any sale, transfer or assignment of shares by the stockholders of the grantee in favor of a holding company whose stockholders are identical to the stockholders of the grantee; (d) any combination thereof where such transfer sale or issuance is effected in order to enable the grantee to raise the necessary capital or financing for the provision of any services authorized by this Act and/or carry out any of the purposes for which the grantee has been incorporated or organized: Provided, further, That any such transfer, sale or issuance is in accordance with any applicable constitutional limitation. Any person or entity to which this franchise is sold, transferred or assigned, shall be subject to the same conditions, terms, restrictions and limitations of this Act."

Section 2

Section 16 of Republic Act No. 9119 is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SECTION 16. Equality Clause. - Any advantage, favor, privilege, exemption, or immunity granted under existing franchise, or which may hereafter be granted for radio and/or television broadcasting, shall ipso facto become part of this franchise and shall be accorded immediately and unconditionally to the herein grantee: Provided, however, That the foregoing shall neither apply to nor affect provisions of broadcasting franchises concerning territory covered by the franchise, the life span of the franchise or the type of service authorized by the franchise."

Section 3. Effectivity

This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from the date of its publication, upon the initiative of the grantee, in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation in the Philippines.

Approved,

JUAN PONCE ENRILE President of the Senate	PROSPERO C. NOGRALES Speaker of the House of Representatives

This Act which originated in the House of Representatives was finally passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on January 26, 2009 and July 28, 2009, respectively.

EMMA LIRIO-REYES Secretary of the Senate	MARILYN B. BARUA-YAP Secretary General House of Representatives

Approved: November 6, 2009

GLORIA MACAPAGAL - ARROYO President of the Philippines