Pacquiao reiterates call on House to act on ABS-CBN franchise bills

MANILA -- Senator Manny Pacquiao on Tuesday urged legislators in the House of Representatives to do their job and act on measures renewing ABS-CBN Corp.'s franchise.

A new concurrent resolution urging the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to allow ABS-CBN Corp. to operate while Congress is still finalizing its franchise renewal bid was filed in the Senate on Monday.

Pacquiao said in an interview on DZMM’s Dos por Dos that he is among the senators who support the resolution.

“Sa totoo lang, malaki ang pasasalamat ng buong Pilipino dahil sa ABS-CBN marami tayong nalalaman na updated sa balita. 'Yung mga bagong balita, naririnig natin, nai-inform tayo. 'Pag nawala ang ABS-CBN, malaki ang kawalan. Hindi ko sinasabing ang ABS-CBN ang nag-iisa pero iba yung saklaw ng ABS-CBN—nationwide. [It's] Not only in the Philippines but all over the world,” he said.

• New concurrent resolution urging NTC to extend ABS-CBN franchise filed in Senate

Pacquiao admitted that some congressmen may have reasons for delaying action on ABS-CBN's franchise bills, although he refused to elaborate.

“May basa ako doon sa sariling opinyon ko, pero ‘di ko na sasabihin dito, baka ma-offend sila. 'Yun ang paniniwala ko,” he said.

“Kinausap ko sila, ilang congressman na ang kinausap ko. Sabi ko i-hear niyo na yan dahil mapapahiya tayo kung hindi niyo i-hear yan para makita ng mga tao na ginagampanan niyo ang trabaho niyo,” he said.

“Kung hindi papasa, hindi papasa; kung papasa, mas mabuti. Pero dapat, gampanan niyo ang trabaho niyo, i-hear niyo dahil karapatan ng taong bayan na malaman ang update o information na dapat nilang malaman.”

Pacquiao also said he plans to talk to House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano who has downplayed the urgency of tackling ABS-CBN's franchise renewal applications.

"Hindi pa kami nag-uusap ni Speaker Alan Cayetano, pareho kaming Christian, brother ang tawagan namin, hindi pa lang kami nagkakausap. I-try kong kausapin after this," he said.

Meanwhile, he also urged the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to grant ABS-CBN Corp. a provisional authority with "no strings attached."

"Sinaggest ko, huwag naman samantalahin ng NTC na hawakan sa leeg ang ABS, na ''pag 'di niyo ginawa ito, ipa-close namin lahat 'yan.' Iniiwasan natin 'yan," he said.