If he wins the presidency, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Tuesday said he is will sign the franchise application of ABS-CBN Corporation if the network is able to properly address the issues being hurled at it.

Among the issues being hurled against the media network include alleged labor violations, tax evasion, as well as political biases. ABS-CBN executives have defended themselves from the accusations and governemnt agencies have also cleared the network from the allegations.

But Dela Rosa, Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban's (PDP-Laban) standard bearer, clarified it is still the function of Congress—not the president—to grant a network franchise.

“Kung makalusot yan sa (if that passes in) both houses of Congress and nakita ko na na-address (I see that they are able to address) properly and exhaustively and satisfactorily lahat ng (all the) issues binabato sa (hurled at) ABS-CBN, bakit hindi ko pipirmahan (why will I not sign it)?” Dela Rosa pointed out in an interview on ANC’s Headstart.

“Pero kung hindi satisfactorily ma-address lahat ng issues, then baka magdalawang-isip ako (but if they can’t satisfactorily address all these issues, then I might think twice),” he said.

Dela Rosa was criticized for his remarks against ABS-CBN employees after the House of Representatives voted to deny the network its franchise application.

But Dela Rosa clarified that his advise to ABS-CBN workers to just find other jobs was not a mockery of their plight.

“Maganda naman ang aking advise sa mga empleyado ng ABS-CBN. Ang aking purpose noon eh para mabuhay ang pamilya nila...imbes na mag ngawa ngawa, maghanap kayo ng trabaho (I offered a good advise to ABS-CBN employees. The purpose of my advise to them was to make sure they can provide for their families. Instead of crying, just look for other jobs). It was a brotherly advise,” the senator said.

He blamed the reporter who wrote the news of him telling ABS-CBN workers to just find other jobs saying they capitalized on that particular statement he said.

“It was presented by the reporter na parang heartless ako,” he lamented.