Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa on Thursday told employees of ABS-CBN to just look for other jobs should congressmen reject the network's franchise application and permanently stop their operations.
Dela Rosa gave the advice as members of the House of Representatives' legislative franchises committee are scheduled to decide on whether or not to give the media giant a new 25-year franchise.
"Hanap ng ibang trabaho para mabuhay, magsumikap (Look for other jobs, work harder). May ibang paraan pa naman siguro para mabuhay tayo hangga't may ibang jobs (There are other ways to earn for a living as long as there are other jobs)," the administration senator said in a virtual interview with reporters.
"Alangan namang sabihin ko sa kanila na maghimagsik kayo, magwala kayo (I cannot tell them to protest, start a revolution). Maghanap na lang ng ibang trabaho para mabuhay pamilya ninyo (They can just look for other jobs so their families will still live)," he added.
Despite saying that he feels for the employees of the broadcast company, and that it would be difficult to look for employment amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he said other workers are equally affected by the closure of several businesses.
The neophyte senator also shared his belief that the shut down of ABS-CBN would not have an impact to the country, contrary to the concerns raised by most of his colleagues in the Senate.
"Wala akong nakikitang epekto (I don't see any effect). Hindi naman ako apektado dahil 'di naman ako ABS-CBN (I am not affected because I am not from ABS-CBN)," he said.
"Wala akong nakikitang epekto dahil kung sasabihin niyo mawalan din ng news, meron naman din 'yong ibang mga ibang news outfits na nagpe-perform (I don't see any impact, because, if you will say that we will lose sources of news, there are other news outfits that could perform). So, wala akong nakitang epekto, sa akin (I don't see any effect)," he reiterated.
In the same interview, however, Dela Rosa said he has not yet studied the possible economic impact of ABS-CBN's shutdown, particularly on the government's tax revenues.
"Ilang milyon ba ang tax na nireremit ng ABS-CBN sa gobyerno? Kung ganoon kalaki may epekto, pero kung maliit lang wala ito epekto," he said.
Still, Dela Rosa said he hopes that congressmen will vote on the franchise bill "according to their conscience".