Two House of Representatives leaders who supported ABS-CBN’s bid for the grant of a fresh legislative franchise remained optimistic that the legislative body will 'correct' what it has done last year and grant the network its request in the 19th Congress.

On the first anniversary of the controversial vote on ABS-CBN franchise application on Saturday, Jully 10, Deputy Speaker and Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez aired hopes that the next batch of lawmakers who will comprise the new Congress will be kinder to the network.

On the other hand, Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said the fight for press freedom does not end with last year’s vote of the Committee on Legislative Franchise.

`"Now, more than ever, we must further strengthen our resolve to fight for press freedom and never forget what has been done to undermine our freedoms and democratic rights. Never forget! Never Again!,” said Zarate in a press statement.

Rodriguez and Zarate were among the 11 House members who voted to grant a fresh legislative franchise. However, their votes were drowned by the 70 "no votes" of members of the House legislative franchise panel, thus, resulting in the rejection of the franchise application and the closure of the network, then one of the leading mass media firms in the country.

“I truly hope and pray that the incoming 19th Congress will act immediately to correct the injustice done to Abs-Cbn last year and grant a new franchise to ABS=CBN!,” said Rodriguez.

There is no law preventing the network to apply anew for a new legislative franchise in the next Congress after the original congressional license expired May 4 last year.

With the expiration fo the last 25-year congressional franchise granted the network, it applied for a new one but this was rejected by the legislative franchise panel chaired by Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez.

"The ABS-CBN shutdown is a clear attack on press freedom and the people's right to information. The Duterte administration's determination to shut down ABS-CBN, the largest media network, shows how it weaponized laws and institutions to silence all its perceived enemies, critics, and dissenters," said Zarate in a statement.

"The decision of the majority members of the House Committee on Legislative Franchise to deny ABS-CBN a fresh franchise a year ago will go down in history as the day of infamy, as it subverted reason, job preservation and press freedom, to give way to the wishes of Malacañang,” he said.

Zarate added: “This is a clear disservice to the Filipino people.”