Rep Defensor suggests ABS-CBN use P3.2B tax evasion funds for employees

Anakalusugan party-list Representative Mike Defensor suggested that ABS-CBN Corporation use the P3.2 billion in taxes it allegedly evaded to support its 11,000 employees at risk of losing their jobs.

Defensor stated that the network could utilize these funds, possibly from retained earnings, to help its workers instead of resorting to retrenchment.

While acknowledging the difficult situation for ABS-CBN employees, Defensor emphasized that lawmakers could not overlook the network's supposed violations.

He left it to ABS-CBN executives to decide what to do with the employees, stating they "know what to do" and that there are business solutions.

However, Bureau of Internal Revenue officials had previously testified that ABS-CBN regularly settled its taxes and is one of the country's top taxpayers.