Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio will leave it up to Congress as to whether or not to restore the operating franchise of television and radio giant ABS-CBN, in the event she becomes the next vice president of the country.
Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) vice presidential bet Duterte-Carpio was asked in an ambush interview Tuesday, March 1, about whether or not she would support moves to give the shuttered network a new franchise if and when she wins in May 2022.
After a two-second pause, the presidential daughter answered: "As Vice President, wala po ang power dyan of granting franchises, so nasa Congress po yan. Nasa House of representatives and sa Senate (The power to grant franchises is with Congress, not with the Vice President. It's with the House of Representatives and the Senate)."
Duterte-Carpio compared the ABS-CBN franchise issue to a national issue, like coming up with a national government stand on the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
"The same with the question on the voting on Ukraine and Russia, nasa susunod po tayo kung ano yung desisyon ng (we will just follow the decision of the) branch of government that is empowered that to do that," she said.
"So nasa Congress po yan (ABS-CBN franchise) kung ano po yung desisyon ng Congress yan po ang masusunod (So the ABS-CBN franchise issue is with Congress, whatever their decision is, it will be followed)," added Duterte-Carpio, who is a lawyer.
The interview took place on the sidelines of the Vice Mayors' League of the Philippines 1st quarter 2022 regular national executive board meeting in Pasay City.
The popular network's previous operating franchise expired on May 5, 2020. A few months later, ABS-CBN's congressional application for a new 25-year franchise was junked by House members allied with President Duterte.
During the House hearings on its franchise application, ABS-CBN said it had a total of 11,071 employees as of December 2019.