Duterte wants to give ABS-CBN frequency to ‘Filipino who will do good and pay’

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he would give the frequency of shuttered broadcast network ABS-CBN to a Filipino who would “do good and pay.”

Duterte in his final State of the Nation Address, accused ABS-CBN anew of “cheating government by the billions in taxes.”

“I will give it to a Filipino na gustong magawa ng tamang ano and pay, because sa ABS-CBN, even their equipment were imported tax-free kaya talaga ako hindi magpapayag," Duterte said of ABS-CBN's frequency.

"They still owe government billions,” he added.

(I will give it to a Filipino who wants to do good and pay because in ABS-CBN, even their equipment were imported tax-free that’s why I really won’t allow it. They still owe government billions.)

An official of the Bureau of Internal Revenue last year said that the network paid taxes regularly and in a lawful manner, stating that ABS-CBN has no outstanding tax liabilities and paid its taxes regularly. 

Duterte also accused ABS-CBN of misdeclaring the size of the property on which it stands in order to pay less in property tax.

A representative of the network has denied this allegation. 

The President then claimed that he has “no problem” with ABS-CBN and chose to keep mum even when the network failed to air his 2016 campaign advertisement and “printed all the garbage” about his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

The network admitted that it did not air the advertisements of Duterte and other candidates in 2016. President and CEO Carlo Katigbak also issued an apology.  

“Wala akong problema sa (I don’t have an issue with) ABS-CBN… Nilamon ko na lang lahat ‘yun (I kept it all inside) because I never wanted to appear vindictive,” Duterte said.

In 2017 and 2018, Duterte threatened to block the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise over its failure to air the campaign advertisements that he had already paid for.

In May 2020, the network went off the air following the expiry of its franchise that was not renewed by Congress.

Months later, Duterte cited his supposed shutdown of the oligarchy in a speech that was edited to omit his reference to ABS-CBN.

In February this year, Duterte said he would not allow the National Telecommunications Commission to give ABS-CBN a license to operate even if it would be given a new franchise. —NB, GMA News