Nelson Morales

5th bill seeking to grant ABS-CBN 25-year broadcast franchise filed

Article (news)

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — House Committee on Ways and Means Chairperson and Albay 2nd District Representative Joey Salceda filed on Tuesday a bill seeking to grant ABS-CBN a 25-year broadcast franchise, asserting that relevant government agencies have cleared the company from allegations of violating its previous franchise. House Bill 11252 seeks to grant ABS-CBN franchise “to construct, install, operate and maintain television and broadcast stations in the Philippines”. In 2020, the House Committee on Legislative Franchises voted to deny ABS-CBN’s franchise application. “The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Bureau of Internal Revenue, during House deliberations on the ABS-CBN franchise in the previous Congress, certified that the franchise grantee did not violate ownership restrictions and did not have pending tax liabilities,” Salceda said in his explanatory note. “The non-renewal of the franchise, however, cost some 11,000 direct jobs… Prior to the rejection of the franchise renewal, some 36% of Filipinos derived their news and entertainment from the channel. ABS-CBN’s extensive regional network reach was also the source for news and updates on impending disasters, making the channel crucial then to disaster risk reduction strategies at the local level,” he added. Salceda noted that ABS-CBN has been an important news source in parts of the country, including Albay, noting that granting it a franchise will help boost the “free market of ideas”. “Kailangan natin ‘yung free market of ideas and of course reporting on events, lalung lalu na sa pananaw patungkol sa kung ano ang nangyayari sa ating bayan,” he told reporters on Tuesday. Asked whether his move was previously discussed with House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Salceda said, “May mga sarili po akong ginagawa na sa pananaw ko ay makakabuti para sa ating bansa. I have my last five months in Congress, and I think it is the right thing to do”. Four similar bills were previously filed before the House of Representatives in the 19th Congress, but they are still pending with the House Committee on Legislative Franchises. With few session weeks left for the 19th Congress, Salceda remains optimistic about his bill’s chances of getting approved. “Kaya nga idinagdag ko ‘yung boses ko doon at saka signature ko doon. Para mas lalung mabigyan ng sigla ang proseso,” he said. “Bihira naman ako mag-file ng hindi nagiging batas,” Salceda noted.

House Committee on Ways and Means Chairperson and Albay 2nd District Representative Joey Salceda filed on Tuesday a bill seeking to grant ABS-CBN a 25-year broadcast franchise.

House Committee on Ways and Means Chairperson and Albay 2nd District Representative Joey Salceda filed on Tuesday a bill seeking to grant ABS-CBN a 25-year broadcast franchise.