PCOO needs P1.4 billion to be able to improve IBC-13

Published September 29, 2019, 5:30 PM

By Argyll Cyru Geducos

The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) said that it was planning to have funds to finally sell off Intercontinental Broadcasting Corp. (IBC-13), a move that was in the administration’s pipelines since 2016.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar (PCOO / FACEBOOK / MANILA BULLETIN)

In his radio program aired over state-run Radyo Pilipinas, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said that he has already talked to IBC-13 President Kat de Castro about the steps to be undertaken so they can finally sell the TV network.

“IBC-13 is really in dire straits kung iyon ang tamang term doon (if that is the correct term for that). In the red na iyong kanilang operations (Their operations are already in the red),” he said.

According to Andanar, the Duterte administration inherited a lot of problems in relation to IBC-13, including realty taxes and compensation for retired employees which the network has yet to pay. He said this would amount to about P1.4 billion.

“Mayroon na tayong mga nasolusyunan na mga malalaking problema din tulad noong sa BIR clearance. Eh kasi hindi mo mabebenta iyong IBC-13 kung wala siyang tax clearance (We’ve already resolved the needed BIR clearance because we cannot sell IBC-13 without it),” he said.

“Kasi kung wala siyang tax clearance, hindi mo mare-renew iyong franchise. O kapag hindi mo ma-renew iyong franchise, walang bibili ‘di ba (Without the tax clearance, it cannot apply for a renewal of its franchise. If the franchise is not renewed, then no one will buy the network),” he added.

“So which means, we really need to renew the franchise of IBC 13, which is a government station, to another 25 years and then we sell it,” he continued.

According to Communications Assistant Secretary Kris Ablan, the PCOO was hoping that the Senate would consider allocating budget to pay off IBC-13’s debt so the network can be finally sold.

“So I think they [Senate] will consider talaga putting some budget for IBC para naman magawan—I mean, matulungan si President Kat De Castro ng IBC (So that we can help IBC President De Castro),” he said.

Meanwhile, Andanar said they have finally resolved the issue on how to privatize IBC-13 with the help of the Office of the Executive Secretary and the Privatization Commission

“So this is already moving – that’s the good news,” he said.

IBC-13 was sequestered after the fall of the Marcos dictatorship in 1986 as part of the recovery of ill-gotten wealth. In 2016, Andanar said the network had labor problems and owed P800 million in back wages to employees.

The following year, Andanar said the PCOO was looking to bid IBC-13 at P4.2 billion.