ABS-CBN franchise bill re-filed in House

Metro Manila, Philippines - A lawmaker has sought to give former media giant ABS-CBN a fresh 25-year franchise after the network failed to acquire the congressional permit nearly five years ago.

Through House Bill 11252 filed on Tuesday, Jan. 7, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda urged his colleagues to reconsider the non-renewal of the listed network’s franchise. All franchise bills originate from the House of Representatives.

“Kailangan natin ‘yung free market of ideas and reporting on events, lalong-lalo na sa pananaw patungkol sa kung ano-anong nangyayari sa ating bayan. Ako naniniwala na ang pagpapanumbalik ng isa sa mga – masasabi natin na magandang laban,” Salceda told reporters in a chance interview. “I have my last five months in Congress. I think it is the right thing to do.”

[Translation: We need a free market of ideas and reporting on events, especially views about the events in the country. I believe that its comeback will bring good competition.]

“I was a former co-author of their franchise in the past Congress. You will remember that I even warned against the franchise rejection on grounds that it will add to COVID-19 infections due to lack of information,” he said in a statement.

During the 18th Congress, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Bureau of Internal Revenue have certified during an inquiry that ABS-CBN did not violate ownership restrictions or had pending tax liabilities.

About 11,000 workers lost their jobs when the network ceased operations in May 2020.

Since its closure, ABS-CBN shifted its content from broadcasting to live streaming.

Its shares have been on a general decline since the closure of broadcast operations.