A YouTube video claims a congressman berated Sen. Risa Hontiveros for supposedly granting ABS-CBN a new broadcast franchise.This is misleading.
The video passed off an old clip of Hontiveros and SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta arguing over job losses due to the media giant’s shutdown as a recent one.
Even as an elected official, Hontiveros has no power to grant a franchise on her own.
Uploaded on March 31, the video bore the following text on its thumbnail:
“BUHAYA ANG ABS-CBN! Congressman Marcoleta, muling sinagot ang issue ng ibalik ni Sen. Risa Hontiveros ang prangkisa ng ABSCBN
(ABS-CBN is corrupt! Congressman Marcoleta, answered the issue again after Sen. Risa Hontiveros restored ABS-CBN’s franchise)!”
Its headline also read: “VIRAL! Matapos IPILIT ang PRANKISA ng ABSCBN| MARCOLETA PINATAOB si HONTIVEROS| WALA KANG ALAM (After forcing a franchise for ABS-CBN | Marcoleta outsmarted Hontiveros | You know nothing)!”
While Hontiveros and Marcoleta did have a debate over the franchise denial of ABS-CBN, this happened during a Commission on Appointments hearing back in November 2022. The subject of their exchange was not a new franchise for the media company, but the loss of around 11,000 jobs due to the network’s shutdown.
It is Congress — the House of Representatives and the Senate — that grants media companies a legislative franchise to operate a free-to-air television station and radio channels. That power does not rest on an individual lawmaker. A franchise is a law approved by lawmakers and signed into law by the president.
In July 2020, the House Committee on Legislative Franchises denied the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise. Former president Rodrigo Duterte, a staunch critic of the station, admitted that he used his power to turn lawmakers against the network.
Four ABS-CBN franchise bills have been filed in the House of Representatives since Duterte stepped down in 2022 but all remain pending at the committee level.
ABS-CBN, which has since transformed into a content creation company, said in a 2024 regulatory filing that they are not applying for a new franchise:
“ABS-CBN Corporation disposed of assets that the company no longer needed to various broadcasting networks after we ceased operations as a broadcasting company. It is not true that ABS-CBN is applying for a new franchise nor does it intend to buy back any of the assets it sold.”
Source: ABS-CBN official website, “SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION SEC FORM 17-C,” Feb. 27, 2024.
The misleading video emerged a week after the House of Representatives revoked the franchise of Sonshine Media Network International, a media company affiliated with controversial televangelist Apollo Quiboloy.
Uploaded by verified YouTube channel Showbiz Fanaticz, the video received 31,142 interactions.
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