MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – ABS-CBN Network, forced off the air last week due to its expired broadcast franchise is in for more trouble, thanks to Rappler CEO Maria Ressa!

After being shut down by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the Philippines’ largest broadcasting network now faces fines and sanctions from other government entities like the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Social Security System (SSS), PhilHealth and the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-ibig Fund).

In a television interview with The World’s Beverley O’Connor, Ressa revealed that ABS-CBN had 11 Million employees that are affected by the shutdown, contrary to the network’s earlier claim of 11,000.

That means that ABS-CBN had defrauded the government of what could be Billions of pesos in potential taxes and contributions.  By law, employers are mandated to deduct income taxes and Social Security contributions from their employees’ paychecks, not to mention automatic deductions for PhilHealth premiums and Pag-ibig fund contributions.  In effect, the network owes the government money which would have been collected from the remaining 10,989,000 employees.

Speaking with The Adobo Chronicles, spokespersons of the different government agencies said that they have no reason to not believe Ressa who is among the country’s and the world’s most truthful and trusted journalists, having been previously named Time magazine’s Person of the Year.