On May 13, Congress passed House Bill 6732 to the House of Representatives Committee of the Whole, which grants ABS-CBN a provisional franchise to operate until October 2020.
Veteran actress Vivian Velez was apparently displeased by the move and called the bill illegal. Velez posted on her Facebook page that congress should be abolished for allowing the provisional franchise.
With 1,300 thousand likes and 282 shares (as of this writing), Velez has made it clear that Congress has unlawfully passed the House Bill giving ABS-CBN provisional authority,
“Congress providing ABS-CBN provisional franchise is illegal… Abolish Congress!”
https://www.facebook.com/vivianvelez888/posts/3269588636409119
Velez, a proud celebrity who endorses President Rodrigo Duterte, has always shown her opposition to ABS-CBN.
Velez was one of the few who defended Jimmy Bondoc in his fight against ABS-CBN.
“Expect to be bashed and beaten, Jimmy Bondoc, in this business, most of the (celebrities/employees) will look the other way and we know why. Wealth defense, the culture of ‘utang na loob.'”
“After all, who could be against oligarchs who show such generosity? But is it really generosity from their end when you are being paid for your art, talent, and services?”
In the comment section of her recent Facebook post, Velez even called the Congress “kapal” when one netizen indirectly said that the Congress was bribed to allow the bill.
On the other hand, ABS-CBN welcomes the approval of House Bill 6732 by the House of Representatives Committee of the Whole, which gives ABS-CBN a provisional franchise to operate until October 2020.
In the statement of ABS-CBN on the approval of the HB 6732 on the House committee, it said, “We thank the leaders of the House of Representatives and the sponsors of the bill led by Speaker Alan Cayetano and Majority Leader Martin Romualdez for recognizing the role we play in providing for the needs of the people in terms of access to news, information, entertainment, and public service at this crucial time. ”
The network has also mentioned that it is open to criticism and suggestion to further improve its service to the Filipinos.
“We remain open to opinions and constructive suggestions on how to improve the organization and better serve the Filipino people. We are most grateful to the people and groups who have expressed their love and support. You inspire us. Maraming salamat po.”
