Deputy House Speaker Vilma Santos-Recto revealed her intentions on Monday night to file a bill that would provide ABS-CBN with a new legislative franchise spanning 25 years.

This development comes after Senate President Vicente Sotto 3^rd filed earlier on Monday Senate Bill No. 1967 that seeks to revive the franchise of ABS-CBN.

“I am refiling the bill seeking for the renewal for another 25 years of the ABS-CBN franchise. I filed it the last time and I continue to believe that it is the right thing to do,” Santos-Recto told a national daily.

She said she hopes that the House Committee on Rules will immediately act on the counterpart measure filed by Sotto in the Senate, as this will speed up the process of giving ABS-CBN a new legislative franchise.

Santos-Recto hopes to file the bill this week or next week.

The Constitution requires that a franchise bill must emanate from the House of Representatives.

Sotto’s bill seeking to revive the franchise of ABS-CBN has gotten the support of Senators Grace Poe, Senators Joel Villanueva, Sonny Angara, Franklin Drilon and Ralph Recto, Vilma’s husband.

Sotto sees the move to revive ABS-CBN’s franchise as having a “better chance” at the House under its current leadership. The House is currently led by Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco.

The House was under the leadership of Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano when 70 lawmakers voted against ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal in July 2019. CURRENTPH