MANILA, Philippines — The junking of ABS-CBN Corp.'s bid to renew its legislative franchise and the resulting loss of employment and media services all affect Quezon City's local government greatly, Mayor Joy Belmonte said on Monday morning. Asked in an interview over ANC just how much the closure of some of the company's units affected the city government, Belmonte said: "Quite a lot. I can't give you the exact numbers at present, but yes, from the perspective of a chief executive." The country's national police has since asked protesters, particularly those protesting ABS-CBN's franchise denial and others planning SONA mass actions on July 27, to instead conduct their activities over the internet. Disclosure: Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte is a shareholder of Philstar Global Corp., which operates digital news outlet Philstar.com.

Source: Philippine Star July 20, 2020 06:33 UTC