Malacañang on Monday, February 22, said that the Senate is simply doing its legislative work to conduct a hearing on the franchise renewal grant to ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation.

This after the Senate Committee on Public Services held a hearing earlier today, discussing the media giant’s franchise.

“(C)ertainly they are not wasting time in discussing the subject matter,” Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Salvador S. Panelo said.

In the committee hearing, ABS-CBN CEO and President Carlo Katigbak issued an apology to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for the network’s failure to air some of his local campaign ads during the presidential campaign back in 2016.

The apology, according to Secretary Panelo is a welcome development, adding that it is long overdue.

The President’s chief legal counsel, however, stressed that it is up for PRRD whether to accept it or not.

“I’m glad finally ABS-CBN has admitted its shortcomings to the President. Dapat noon pa nila ginawa… I do not know. Naka’y Presidente na iyon. It’s personal to him,” Panelo said. ###OPS/PCOO