House told NTC, BIR to investigate ABS-Zoe blocktime deal

METRO MANILA – Despite the closure of ABS-CBN Corp, the problem may soon be far from over as lawmakers are calling for an investigation into the resumption of operations to air some of its program through a deal with the licensed television station, ZOE Broadcasting Network.

New House Minority Leader Joseph Stephen Paduano has called the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to probe the agreement with ZOE TV for a possible breach in the legal and tax issues.

The Abang Lingkod party-list congressman said that there is legal issue about it but they have to wait what will happen.

Paduano  now holds the 23-member bloc in the House of Representatives. He will let the NTC do their job and investigate on them matter. The NTC will then recommend it to Congress, to the committee on franchise, and the committee will act on it.

Paduano said that if you’re a commercial TV or network, then you have to pay your taxes. The congressman’s issue with ABS-CBN is that their profits goes to Big Dipper resulting to a “tax evasion”. Paduano said that they have to pay the taxes.

Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor defended ABS-CBN and said that he did not see anything wrong with the blocktime deal.

Defensor said that the blocktime arrangement is not a utilization of the franchise, but rather the franchise of ZOE and they are buying into it.

ZOE TV, a network owned by Deputy Speaker Eddie Villanueva of CIBAC party-list is now know as the A2Z Channel 11. The blocktime deal has allowed ABS-CBN programs to return to free air tv after being cancelled last May when its 25-year legislative franchise expired. Villanueva is the founder of The founder of Jesus is Lord Church Worldwide and the recently rebranded A2Z Channel 11 A2Z

Related Article: https://www.theasianaffairs.com/philippines/2020/10/06/abs-cbn-shows-to-return-on-free-tv-via-zoes-a2z-channel/