NAGKAKAHALAGA umano ng P8 bilyon ang Philippine Depository Receipts na binili ng mga dayuhan sa ABS-CBN Holdings, ang may-ari ng ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.
Sa ika-anim na joint hearing ng House committees on Legislative Franchise at on Good Government and Public Accountability, sinabi ni Dasmariñas City Rep. Elpidio Barzaga umabot sa 289,827,100 PDRs ang ibinenta ng ABS-CBN Holdings mula 1999 hanggang 2020.
Sa mga ito, 111,761,335 PDR (37.4 porsyento) ang binili ng mga Filipino at nagkakahalaga ito ng P5.1 bilyon.
“At yung naman PDRs na ang nag-invest ay foreign nationals umaabot ito sa 187,065,765 PDRs and at the rate of P46 for every PDR ng total value ng PDR na nasa kamay ng foreign nationals ay umaabot sa P8,605,025,190 representing 62.6%,” ani Barzaga.
Ayon kay Barzaga ang bawat PDR ay may katumbas na shares of stock ng ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.
Sinabi naman ni AnaKalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor na hindi nakapagtataka kung diktahan ng mga may hawak ng PDR ang ABS-CBN Holdings kaugnay ng pamamahala sa ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.
“Can you imagine yung impluwensya na puwudeng gawin ng PDRs holders, foreign having P8 Billion, nagme-may-ari ng walong bilyong piso,” ani Defensor.
“Hindi ba nila puwedeng sabihin sa ABS CBN Holdings eto ang gawin nyo…at siyempre natural lamang ang ABS-CBN Holdings given that these holders, the biggest share holder in the company ilalabas nila ang sentimiyento.”
Punto pa ni Defensor: “Kahit saan negosyo kung sino ang may pinakamalaking inilagay na pondo sya po ang puwedeng maimpluwesya either directly or indirectly kahit wala siyang kontrol.”
Iginiit naman ng ABS-CBN na walang hawak na shares ang mga bumili ng PDR kaya wala itong kontrol sa management ng Channel 2.
Sinabi naman ni Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman na hindi labag sa Konstitusyon ang PDR.
“The PDRs of ABS-CBN which are issued to foreign investors are completely compliant with the Constitution, and do not constitute a scheme to circumvent the constitutional requirement on 100% Filipino ownership and management of mass media enterprises,” ani Lagman.
“The criticism that PDRs achieved indirectly what the Constitution directly prohibits, is utterly baseless speculation.”
Ayon kay Lagman ang mga PDR holder ay hindi stockholders kaya wala itong voting rights.
“Without voting rights and title over the underlying shares, PDR holders do not have ownership and management of ABS-CBN Corporation,” dagdag pa ng solon. “The practice of issuing PDRs to secure investments is not an innovation of ABS-CBN because almost 100 years ago in the United States, American Depository Receipts were already part of corporate practice to secure investments, not capital infusion, just like the European Depository Receipts of later vintage.”