Majority of Filipinos support ABS-CBN franchise application; non-renewal major blow to press freedom

July 12, 2020

Seventy five percent of Filipinos agreed that the franchise of ABS-CBN must be renewed by Congress, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

In its special survey conducted last July 3 to 6, SWS found that 75 percent of Filipinos favored the franchise renewal while 13 percent disagreed and 10 percent were undecided.

The survey also found 56 percent said the non-renewal is a major blow to press freedom.

“ABS-CBN, the largest media network in the Philippines, is highly trusted by Filipinos, based on past SWS surveys,” it said.

SWS said support for ABS-CBN franchise renewal is strong in all areas, especially outside Metro Manila and in rural areas.

The call on Congress to renew the ABS-CBN franchise was highest in Mindanao at 80 percent, followed by Visayas at 77 percent, Balance Luzon at 74 percent, and Metro Manila at 69 percent.

It was higher in rural areas at 81 percent than in urban areas at 70 percent.

The survey also found that 81 percent of women support for the renewal while 70 percent were men.

“They hardly vary across age groups, ranging from 74 percent to 79 percent,” SWS said.

By education, those who agreed that Congress should renew the ABS-CBN franchise were higher among non-elementary graduates at 82 percent and elementary graduates at 84 percent, compared to junior high school graduates at 74 percent, and college graduates at 65 percent.

“The survey interviews were done while the Philippine House of Representatives was debating the renewal of the franchise,” SWS said.

On July 10, voting 70 against 11, the House committee on legislative franchises rejected the franchise application of the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier threatened to oppose the giant network's franchise application as he even told the Lopez family to just sell the company. Ella Dionisio/DMS