Duterte will only veto ABS-CBN franchise bill if there’s constitutional issue -Palace

President Rodrigo Duterte will only reject the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN if the bill that will be sent for his signature contains legal infirmities, Malacañang said Thursday.

“Unless there is any further constitutional infirmity, I don’t think he will veto,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a televised briefing.

Duterte can either sign or veto a bill passed by Congress, according to the 1987 Constitution.

Also, any bill that is neither signed nor vetoed by the President will automatically lapse into law 30 days after it was forwarded by Congress.

Roque maintained that Duterte is neutral on the issue of ABS-CBN franchise. He said the President asked his allies in Congress to vote on the matter according to their conscience.

Calls for the immediate renewal of the franchise grew louder after ABS-CBN went off the air on Tuesday following an order by the National Telecommunications Commission, which ruled that the media giant could not operate on an expired license.

Reacting to these calls, Roque said lawmakers are not blind nor deaf to the sentiments of the people.—AOL, GMA News