On Wednesday (May 13), Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and 7 other House leaders filed House Bill 6732 granting ABS-CBN a 6-month provisional franchise to operate. It was approved suddenly after the country’s largest network was shutdown on May 5, after sitting on the issue for months.
Meanwhile, ABS-CBN welcomed the approval and was looking “forward to participating in the process of our franchise renewal and stand[s] ready to respond to the issues that have been raised against the network, its owners, management and employees.”
Statement on the House Committee of the Whole’s Approval of HB 6732:
“ABS-CBN welcomes the approval of House Bill 6732 by the House of Representatives Committee of the Whole that grants ABS-CBN a provisional franchise to operate until October 2020.
“We thank the leaders of the House of Representatives and the sponsors of the bill led by Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Majority Leader Martin Romualdez for recognizing the role we play in providing for the needs of the people in terms of access to news, information, entertainment, and public service at this crucial time.
“We look forward to participating in the process of our franchise renewal and stand ready to respond to the issues that have been raised against the network, its owners, management and employees.
“We remain open to opinions and constructive suggestions on how to improve the organization and better serve the Filipino people.
“We are most grateful to the people and groups who have expressed their love and support. You inspire us. Maraming salamat po.”
