MANILA - A bill seeking the broadcast franchise renewal of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines was approved Wednesday in the committee level at the House of Representatives.

Filed in January 2017, House Bill 4820 extends for another 25 years the congressional franchise of CBCP to construct, install, establish, operate and maintain radio and or television broadcasting stations in the Philippines.

The House Committee on Legislative Franchises approved the measure in under 30 minutes.

The development comes about a month after President Rodrigo Duterte, who has repeatedly lambasted the Catholic Church, met with CBCP leaders.

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Members of the Church hierarchy in July also dined with former president and now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, a devout Catholic.

CBCP's last franchise was granted by Republic Act 7530. It lapsed in August 2017.

The bill seeking its renewal was authored by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda.
Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza moved for its approval, which was carried due to lack of objections.