President Rodrigo Duterte renewed his warning to ABS-CBN telling the television network giant to sell their company because he’s not sure if their franchise is still going to get renewed.
In a speech before quake victims in M’lang, North Cotabato, Duterte said that the people have the chance now to take revenge against ABS-CBN.
The television network’s franchise is set to expire in March 2020 and until now, the Congress is not yet discussing the renewal of ABS-CBN.
“Itong ABS (CBN), mag-expire ang contract ninyo. Mag-renew kayo, ewan ko lang kung may mangyari diyan. Kung ako sa inyo ipagbili niyo na ‘yan,” Duterte said in a speech before quake victims in M’lang, North Cotabato.
“Kasi ang mga Pilipino ngayon lang makaganti sa inyong kalokohan. And I will make sure that you will remember this episode of our times forever,” he added.
The statement of the President was followed by applause from the audience.
Duterte made his statement after the Congress failed to tackle ABS-CBN franchise renewal in 2019.
If ABS-CBN failed to get franchise renewal, they’re required to stop their broadcast network which being feared by its employees.
Some celebrities and supporters of ABS-CBN even appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to change his heart and let the franchise renewal of the said network proceed.
However, despite the appeals he received, President Duterte remained firm in his decision not to renew to franchise of ABS-CBN.
“Ang inyong franchise mag-end next year. If you are expecting na ma-renew ‘yan , I’m sorry. You’re out. I will see to it that you’re out,”he said in a speech delivered in Malacañang last December 3.
One of the reasons why President Duterte doesn’t want ABS-CBN to continue its operation is because of not airing his political campaign in 2016.