Trillanes: Duterte’s problem with ABS-CBN is not un-aired ad

Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV rebuffed Senator Bong Go's remark that ABS-CBN's airing of one of his negative advertisements against then candidate Rodrigo Duterte in 2016 was the reason why the President  is against the renewal of the network's franchise.

Trillanes said there was nothing illegal with the ad entitled Pamana and which featured children questioning the legacy that Duterte would be leaving them.

"Duterte/Bong Go’s assertion that the airing of my advertisement is the reason why the ABS-CBN franchise should not be renewed is a lie," Trillanes said.

Trillanes said there was nothing illegal about the ad.

He said even GMA also aired a negative ad he had commissioned.

"So, definitely there is another ulterior motive in the blocking of ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal," Trillanes said.

GMA First Vice President for Legal Affairs Attorney Ma. Luz Delfin has clarified her earlier statement during the Senate hearng on the ABS-CBN franchise and said the questioned ad never aired on GMA.

"The political advertisement against then presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte featuring minors, which was discussed during the Senate Hearing, was not aired on GMA after it was disapproved by the Network’s internal election committee," Delfin said in a statement.

"I was instead referring to another political advertisement, which was aired on GMA," she added.

Sought for clarification, Trillanes said GMA did not air the ad featuring minors.

“If you are only referring to the ad that was the subject of the TRO, then yes, you didn't air that. But you did air another negative ad,” Trillanes said. —NB, GMA News