MANILA, Philippines – Broadcast network ABS-CBN Corporation on Thursday said it was “grateful and humbled” by President Rodrigo Duterte’s acceptance of its apology.

On Wednesday, Duterte accepted the apology of the network’s president and CEO Carlo Katigbak, and assured he will not interfere in the company’s application for franchise renewal to Congress.

“We are grateful and humbled by President Rodrigo Duterte’s acceptance of our apology,” the ABS-CBN said in a statement.

“ABS-CBN remains committed to becoming a better organization and to continue to provide more meaningful service to Filipinos,” it added.

Katigbak, during a Senate hearing on Monday, apologized to the president over the network’s failure to air his P2.6 million worth of political advertisements during the 2016 presidential elections, as well as the airing of former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s political ad against Duterte.

Duterte also said that instead of giving him refund, the ABS-CBN should just donate the amount of his unaired campaign advertisements to charity.

“We will coordinate with the President’s office as it relates to his guidance on donating the refund to a charitable institution,” the network said in response.

Duterte earlier said he will “leave to Congress” the issue on the network’s franchise renewal, and that he has not decided yet whether to sign into law the bill granting ABS-CBN a fresh 25-year license to operate.

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte met with the new head of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for an enhanced collaboration in various areas in relation with the government’s development agenda, Malacañang said.

In a press statement, the Palace said that ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa on Monday paid a courtesy call on Duterte at the office of the Department of Finance (DOF) in Manila to tackle ways on improving the country’s relationship with the bank.

During the call, the President congratulated Asakawa for his election as new ADB president, and expressed his gratitude for the bank’s continued assistance in different government programs.

Asakawa became ADB’s 10th president in January.

“I would like to express my appreciation to ADB for its unremitting assistance to the Philippines,” Duterte told the ADB president.

The Palace said that during the meeting, the chief executive also called for the ADB’s “aggressive participation” in the Philippine government’s infrastructure program, and asked for its help to improve the government’s capacity to undertake public-private partnership (PPP) projects with increased private sector participation.

“We look forward to ADB’s enhanced support to our Build, Build, Build Program,” Duterte said.

Last December 2019, the DOF signed with the ADB three loan agreements amounting to $623 million in support of the government’s infrastructure push.

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte has designated a new officer-in-charge for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Malacañang said Wednesday.

Eric Distor, assistant director for Intelligence Service, was named NBI’s officer-in-charge following the retirement of director Dante Gierran, according to a memorandum released by the Palace on Wednesday.

The letter addressed to Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra was dated February 21 and signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

It states that Distor’s new work assignment took effect on February 23.

The Palace said he will temporarily lead the agency until a replacement is appointed or until otherwise directed by the Office.