- ABS-CBN is being accused of not paying taxes to justify delays in its franchise renewal.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has set the record straight saying ABS-CBN Corporation has no outstanding tax liability with the tax agency.
In a statement to reporters during the National Tax Campaign kick-off in Pasay City, BIR Deputy Commissioner Arnel Guballa said ABS-CBN has no pending tax deficiency with them.
“Wala… walang pending with us,” he said.
Guballa, however, said that ABS-CBN’s sister company ABS-CBN Film Productions Inc. is the one that has a pending case with the Court of Tax Appeals.
But as far as the ABS-CBN Corporation is concerned there is no pending tax liability with the BIR.
“Sister company nila (ABS-CBN) ‘yun… it’s pending with CTA. All the rest wala,” he added.
In the saga of ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal woes, social media has been fed with news about ABS-CBN’s alleged unpaid taxes or unpaid debts to the government.
Prior to BIR’s confirmation, ABS-CBN had also already denied the allegations.
In their statement last week, ABS-CBN belied accusations of tax liability with the BIR saying they were already issued a tax clearance certificate for the year 2019.
ABS-CBN also added that that company has already paid a total of P70.5 billion in taxes in the past 17 years, making them one of the biggest taxpayers in the country.
“ABS-CBN takes pride in adhering to its corporate values of honesty and integrity in the conduct of its businesses. We have no unpaid obligations to any bank or financial institution,” they said.
ABS-CBN’s franchise which is set to expire on March 30, 2020 is still pending in Congress.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjiquVusNtc
House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said the House is very busy with other matters thus they cannot find an appropriate time to hear the 11 pending bills at the Committee on Legislative Franchises.
The Senate, on the other hand, will start their hearing led by Senator Grace Poe, to find out if indeed ABS-CBN violated the provisions of their franchise.
