Bill seeking ABS-CBN franchise to operate filed in House
MANILA, Philippines — A bill seeking to grant ABS-CBN Corporation a franchise to operate has been filed in the House of Representatives.
Albay Rep. Joey Salceda filed House Bill No. 11252 on Tuesday afternoon.
Citing House deliberations on the ABS-CBN franchise during the previous Congress, Salceda pointed out that the media giant “did not violate ownership restrictions and did not have pending tax liabilities.”
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In the bill, the lawmaker said the non-renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise cost some 11,000 direct jobs and “the information asymmetries that resulted from the loss of an information source caused thousands of new COVID-19 infections during the critical 2020 period.”
“Prior to the rejection of the franchise renewal, some 36 percent 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,” the measure reads.
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Article continues after this advertisement“Given the merits of renewing the franchise, as well as the clarifications made by government agencies over certain allegations against the grantee, this representation urges Congress to reconsider the non-renewal of the franchise by the previous Congress,” it adds.
In a separate statement, Salceda said: “The free market of ideas requires competition. A virtual monopoly will not do, as far as disseminating ideas and keeping the public informed is concerned.”
He echoed this in an ambush interview also on Tuesday, saying he believes this was the right thing to do.
“Ako naniniwala ang pagpapanumbalik ng isa sa mga masasabi natin na magandang laban ng GMA at ng ABS-CBN ay nakakabuti sa bayan,” he told reporters.
(I believe the return of the competition between GMA and ABS-CBN would be beneficial to the country.)
When asked if he discussed this with House Speaker Martin Romualdez, the lawmaker answered, “No.”
“I follow his orders, but I also do things on my own that I believe will benefit our country. I have my last five months in Congress. I think it is the right thing to do,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English.
READ: Solon files bill seeking new franchise for ABS-CBN
In 2022, Surigao del Sur 2nd District Rep. Johnny Pimentel filed a similar bill, House Bill No. 431, which sought to allow ABS-CBN to operate again. He noted its news and public affairs division plays a crucial role in the dissemination of relevant information.