MANILA – For Vice President Leni Robredo, President Rodrigo Duterte’s latest statement against ABS-CBN have shed light on previous speculations that he had a hand in the non-renewal of the network’s franchise.
Robredo said Duterte seemed to admit his role on the network shutdown when he said he will not allow the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to issue ABS-CBN a permit to operate even if the Congress will grant it.
“Noong pinag-uusapan ito sa Congress, parang si (Presidential spokesperson) Sec. (Harry) Roque ang nagsabi na hands off si Presidente,” Robredo said in her radio show Biserbisyong Leni at RMN-DZXL.
“Parang pinanindigan nila for a very long time na walang kinalaman si Presidente sa pagcancel ng prangkisa kasi Congress lang iyon,” she added. “Tapos ngayon baligtad yung sinasabi.”
According to Robredo, Duterte’s allegations that the Lopezes have unpaid taxes and condoned loans were already refuted by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Security of Exchange Commission (SEC).
“Parang baliktad na sinasabi na kahit bigyan, sisisuguraduhin na hindi makakapag-operate habang hindi pa binabayaran ‘yung taxes. Pero dineny na yan ng BIR at SEC,” Robredo said.
House of Representatives Speaker Lord Allan Velasco recently said ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal bill will not be a priority in the remaining months of the Congress.
Several lawmakers have filed bills seeking to revive the network’s broadcast franchise including Deputy Speaker Vilma Santos and Camarines Sur Third District Representative Gabriel Bordado.
Last year, ABS-CBN’s bid to have a new franchise was denied by lawmakers for issues like alleged tax-avoidance schemes, dual citizenship of its chairman emeritus Eugenio Lopez III, failure to regularize its employees, and biased reporting./PN
