Gabby Lopez
HINDI umano nawala ang pagmamay-ari ng mga Lopez ang ABS-CBN Corp., dahil sa pagbebenta nito ng Philippine Deposit Receipts (PDRs).
Ito ang punto ng pagtatanong nina Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate at Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez sa pagpapatuloy ng pagdinig sa prangkisa ng ABS-CBN kanina.
Sinabi ni Lagman na malinaw na hindi ang bumili ng PDR ang nagmamay-ari sa ABS-CBN kundi ang may hawak ng stocks ng kompanya.
“The issuance of Philippine Deposit Receipts (PDRs) by media networks like ABS-CBN Corporation does not violate the constitutional requirement of 100% Filipino ownership and management of mass media,” ani Lagman. “PDRs are not vested with voting rights and full beneficial ownership to which shares of stock are entitled.”
Malinaw umano na walang kontrol ang mga may hawak ng PDRs sa pagpapatakbo o may kontrol sa management ng ABS-CBN.
“Consequently, since PDRs do not enjoy voting rights and full beneficial ownership, they do not dilute the 100% ownership and management of mass media.”
Ang natatanggap lamang umano ng mga may hawak ng PDRs ay ang kita ng ABS-CBN Holdings mula sa dibidendo nito sa ABS-CBN Corp.
Legal din umano ang pagbebenta ng PDRs na pinayagan ng Securities and Exchange Commission noong 1999. Ginawa rin umano ito ng iba pang mass media entity sa bansa.
“Incidentally, other corporations where there is a requirement of at least 60% Filipino ownership are also entitled to issue PDRs, like the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) which availed of this corporate practice in 1988, then known as “Global Depository Receipts” or “American Depository Receipts” since majority of the investors were American citizens or foreigners.”