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Duterte: No reopening even with franchise unless taxes paid


President Rodrigo Duterte served notice to a company that it could not return to business even if it gains a franchise from Congress without settling its tax dues.

“Maski na bigyan ninyo ng limang libong franchise ‘yan, hindi i-implement ‘yan… Just because you gave them franchise, it does not follow that all of their misdeeds in the past are condoned,” Duterte said Monday in his weekly Cabinet briefing.

"Did I not tell you noon, sinabi ko sa inyo itong gobyernong na ito para ito sa mahirap? Kita naman ninyo kung sino ang binibira ko, 'yun 'yung hindi bumabayad ng buwis and riding on its popularity... yet abandoning its duty to government.  And you ask protection from government for your business, in return you pay your taxes correctly," he added.

"For all I care,  you can have a 1,000 franchise, you will not see the light of day until you come to government with clean hands. Ika nga, he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. . . .Wala akong galit, bayaran mo lang ang gobyerno, sasaludo ako sa inyo limang beses," Duterte also said.

Duterte did not name the company, but in May 2020, the National Telecommunications Commission ordered ABS-CBN Corporation to stop operating its various TV and radio stations nationwide following the expiration of its legislative franchise.

In July, the House Committee on Legislative Franchises voted to deny the firm's franchise application due to alleged violations of its old franchise, including tax avoidance schemes. 

The House panel's decision came even as the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in February 2020 set the record straight that  ABS-CBN has no outstanding tax liabilities.

The company has said it has paid a total of P70.5 billion in taxes in the past 17 years, making them one of the biggest taxpayers in the country.

It added that the BIR issued a Tax Clearance Certificate to them in 2019 and also named them one of the Top 200 Non-Individual Taxpayers in the country.

Duterte has repeatedly threatened to block the franchise renewal of the network early on his presidency, citing the various alleged frauds committed by the company.

Duterte's gripe against the network had to do with political advertisements during the 2016 election campaign which he said were paid for but did not air.

Last week, Senate President Vicente Sotto III moved for the franchise renewal of the network.

Filing Senate Bill No. 1967, Sotto sought to renew the franchise granted to ABS-CBN to construct, install, operate, and maintain television and radio broadcasting stations in the Philippines for another 25 years.—LDF, GMA News

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