MANILA –Malacañang believes that ABS-CBN Corp. “could have done more” to help during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, just like the Ayala Group and Manuel V. Pangilinan, who “delivered at a time of crisis” and gave donations “on their own.”
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said, while the Lopez-owned company shelled out P200 million for relief operations, the rest of its donation was obtained from calls for help through its programs.
“The difference is they [Ayalas, MVP] delivered in time of crisis. Hindi ko naman maintindihan kasi why ABS-CBN did not do that,” Roque said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.
“I know you donated P200 million of your own money but the rest you raised from your TV programs through your calls for donation,” he added. “I don’t know why ABS-CBN could not have done more like what the Ayalas and MVP did.”
The Palace spokesperson made the comment on ABS-CBN’s relief efforts when asked about President Rodrigo Duterte’s fresh tirades against the network, just days after the denial of its franchise by a House committee dominated by his allies.
Roque again insisted that Duterte was not referring to the Lopezes of ABS-CBN as the oligarchs he dismantled sans martial law declaration amid the audio leakage of his supposed speech in Jolo, Sulu earlier this week.
“I am not spinning. I am repeating what the President said, that he takes pride in dismantling them [Ayalas and Pangilinan],” Roque said. “Documentary evidence would show that it was Congress who threw out the franchise application of ABS-CBN. That cannot be attributed to the President.”
Duterte has earlier threatened to send the Ayalas and Pangilinan to jail because of an existing water concessionaire agreement with the government, which was supposedly disadvantageous to the people./PN
