MANILA, Philippines — Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda on Tuesday filed a bill that sought to grant ABS-CBN Corporation a 25-year legislative franchise to run its television and radio broadcasting stations.The measure is House Bill 11252.'Given the merits of renewing the franchise, as well as the clarifications made by government agencies over certain allegations against the grantee, this representation urges Congress to reconsider the non-renewal of the franchise by the previous Congress,' Salceda said in the bill's explanatory note.'I believe that the free market of ideas requires competition,' he said in a statement.'I also owe it to Albay. ABS-CBN remains the single most important news source in Albay, despite its lack of a franchise,' he said.
