Members of House committees on Legislative Franchise and Good Government and Public Accountability rejected ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal application, effectively shutting down a major part of the country’s largest media network and its 11,000 workers’ stable jobs amid COVID pandemic.
Voting 70 to 11, the Committee on Legislative Franchises voted to “deny the application of ABS-CBN Corporation for a franchise to construct, install, establish, operate and maintain radio and broadcasting stations in the Philippines.”
The technical working group formed to present the summary of findings from the hearings clarified that the decision was not related to press freedom in the country.
“By no means can this franchise application be related to press freedom,” they said.
“It is what it is–a denial of a privilege granted by the State because the applicant was seen as undeserving of the grant of a legislative franchise.”
