Duterte’s Billionaire Ally Manuel Villar Takes Over TV Channels from ABS-CBN

(Bloomberg) -- A company owned by Philippine billionaire Manuel Villar’s family won two channels previously assigned to ABS-CBN Corp., a former media giant that had come under fire by President Rodrigo Duterte in the past. 

The National Telecommunications Commission said Advanced Media Broadcasting System, Inc. now has the rights to use Channel 2, which is the analog pair of digital Channel 16. Channel 2 was a primary news source for Filipinos in remote areas. 

Duterte had accused ABS-CBN of biased reporting and alleged it had unpaid taxes, which the broadcaster has denied. 

The decision to transfer the channels was backed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Department of Justice and Duterte’s office, the NTC said in a statement.

Villar, a former lawmaker and one-time presidential contender, has built an empire in property and retailing. His son, Mark, ran the Department of Public Works and Highways for Duterte until recently when he quit to seek a senate seat in May. Cynthia Villar, wife of Manuel, is an incumbent senator.

Two other frequencies formerly held by ABS-CBN were awarded by the regulator to other parties, NTC said in separate statements. Channel 43 was granted to Swara Sug Media Corp. owned by Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, a friend of Duterte. Aliw Broadcasting Corp. was given the authority to run a digital TV broadcast using Channel 23, where ABS-CBN used to air its sports shows. 

“We are concerned at the concentration of power in a corporate media landscape already dominated by conglomerates and political clans,” the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said in a statement, saying there are “dire implications” on the people’s right to relevant information. 

In May 2020, ABS-CBN was ordered by the government to shut its free TV and radio stations after its franchise expired. Duterte said he won’t allow the company to operate such channels even if it gets a new franchise from Congress, forcing ABS-CBN to air some of its shows on another channel run by Zoe Broadcasting Network Inc. and focus on building its digital and internet presence. 

Shares of ABS-CBN fell 10% on Wednesday, its biggest drop since October 2020. Vistamalls Inc., Villar’s shopping mall company and owner of the center where his media company will broadcast, closed 18% higher at 4.29 pesos, its biggest gain since November 2018. 

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