Palace reiterates Duterte “neutral” on ABS-CBN franchise issue

July 7, 2020

Malacañang reiterated on Tuesday that President Rodrigo Duterte is "neutral" when it comes to ABS-CBN Corp.'s franchise issue.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said those appealing to Duterte to support the petition of the giant television network to grant them a franchise should direct their call to Congress.

"The position of the President is he is neutral when it comes to ABS-CBN," he said in a virtual press briefing.

He noted that an ABS-CBN executive has apologized to Duterte and the latter forgave the TV network.

Shortly after he assumed office in 2016, Duterte threatened to block the renewal of ABS-CBN franchise for airing the campaign ads of his staunch critic, then Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, while allegedly not airing his own ads. He accused the broadcast firm of not reimbursing him.

ABS-CBN said it aired all of Duterte's ads and even refunded him, but there was a delay on the release of the remaining amount. Duterte refused to accept  the remaining amount and told ABS-CBN to just donate it to a foundation.

"The President said the members of Congress can vote according to their conscience because he is neutral," Roque said.

The members of the House of Representatives who have been grilling ABS-CBN executives for the past weeks over its petition to renew their franchise is set to vote this week on whether to grant the petition or not.

The company's 25-year franchise expired last April and since the National Telecommunications Commission issued a cease and desist order during that time, ABS-CBN went off air.

But ABS-CBN continued to broadcast via other television channels, prompting some congressmen to question NTC why it still allowed the broadcast firm to go on air. NTC then ordered again ABS-CBN to stop going on air. Celerina Monte/DMS