An overwhelming majority of the House committee on legislative franchises ruled against the renewal of ABS-CBN's franchise renewal.
Of the 85 lawmakers, 70 voted to adopt the recommendation of the committee's technical working group that the network's franchise application be rejected.
Eleven lawmakers who were for the renewal of the franchise voted against the TWG resolution, while two inhibited and one abstained.
The TWG resolution insisted that denying the ABS-CBN franchise is “in no way related to freedom of the press freedom.
“It is what it is... The applicant is seen as undeserving of the grant of a legislative franchise,” read the resolution.