President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday he would not allow ABS-CBN to secure a new permit from the National Telecommunications Commission until the Lopez family pays all their "taxes."
Duterte mentioned ABS-CBN towards the tailend of his weekly address to the nation on COVID-19. The House of Representatives denied ABS-CBN application for a franchise renewal last year, effectively taking it off free TV. A bill was filed recently in the Senate for a new license for the network.
"I will not allow the NTC to grant them the permit to operate," Duterte said.
"Unless and until, mabayaran ng mga Lopez ang taxes nila, I will ignore your franchise and I will not give them the license to operate," he said. ABS-CBN had said in franchise hearings that it had no tax delinquencies.
Duterte added: "Kalokohan 'yan, parang binigyan mo sila ng prize for committing criminal acts."
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ABS-CBN went off the air in May 2020 following the expiration of its franchise.
In July of the same year, the network lost its franchise bid in Congress, forcing it to lay off many of its workers in the middle of the pandemic.
