President tells troubled media conglomerate owners to sell out

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday told owners of a media conglomerate that has drawn his ire to sell the company ahead of the network’s franchise expiry.

The mercurial leader has a rocky relationship with the media, especially with those critical of his bloody antinarcotics campaign, and he has threatened numerous times to block the franchise extension of ABS-CBN Corp.

“This ABS, your contract will expire, and you try to renew.

I don’t know what will happen to you,” Duterte said in a speech before earthquake victims in the southern province of North Cotabato.

The broadcast franchise of ABS-CBN, the country’s largest media conglomerate with dozens of local and national radio and television stations covering news, entertainment and public affairs, will expire in March 2020.

“If I were you, just sell it,” Duterte said of the network, which he had accused of not airing his paid advertisement during the presidential race in 2016, and instead showed a TV spot that was critical of him and was allegedly paid for by his critic, former senator Antonio Trillanes 4th.

A bill to extend its licence is pending in congress, which is dominated by Duterte’s allies. ABS-CBN did not immediately respond to request for comment on a public holiday.

Duterte, in numerous public speeches, has lashed out at the media, while his office has at times accused media companies of bias or distorting his statements.

The Philippine leader enjoys a high approval rating and is wildly popular on social media.

His supporters, including bloggers, fiercely defend him and his policies, and have targeted journalists.

Several bills renewing the firm’s franchise are pending at the House of Representatives.

Tycoon Manuel Pangilinan said his group is open to negotiating with ABS-CBN for the possible airing of the latter’s programmes on TV5 network if it fails to secure a new franchise.

Pangilinan, who is the chairman of the network’s parent company PLDT Inc, said that they were “prepared to talk” with ABS-CBN if it wants to secure TV5’s block time.

“We don’t have much entertainment content. It’s up to them,” he told reporters.

“I don’t want to be presumptuous. We don’t want to take the first step,” Pangilinan added. The president had repeatedly threatened to block the renewal of the network’s franchise.