MANILA (PNA) — Malacañang will refrain from rushing privatization of sequestered television stations Radio Philippines Network (RPN-9) and Inter-Continental Broadcasting Corp. (IBC-13).

Communications group Sec. Herminio Coloma gave this assurance, noting Malacanang wants government to comply with procedures required in privatizing assets like the two state-run stations.

"If there are pending cases involving either station, these must go through the judicial process," he said.

He said this will help ensure transactions covering such assets' sale to the private sector are above-board and free from legal hitches.

Malacañang acknowledged legal issues were among major concerns in privatizing RPN-9 and IBC -13 since both were under sequestration.

"Sequestration is the process of determining ownership of these outfits," Coloma said.

He said both stations could be privatized once this ownership issue is resolved.

"The final result of sequestration is orderly privatization," he said.

Government sequestered RPN-9 and IBC-13 after the 1986 People Power revolution toppled former president Ferdinand Marcos and his administration from power.

Authorities then sequestered the stations as they believed Marcos cronies owned these.

Both stations have been awaiting privatization since then.

Malacañang is optimistic this will happen.

"What we know is there are no hindrances to privatizing the two stations," Coloma said.

He said Malacanang is looking forward to having RPN 9 and IBC 13 privatized since government's mandate is to run one television station only-- the National Broadcasting Network (NBN 4), which Malacanang wants to transform into a world-class government media outfit.

Malacañang earlier planned to boost NBN 4's operations using funds from sale of RPN 9 and IBC 13. (PNA)