President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday that ABS CBN television network is largely indebted to the government for allegedly failing to pay taxes.

Duterte disclosed this in a speech at the 6th Professional Summit in Manila.

"ABS-CBN, you have huge debt with the government...almost P15 billion. When the woman came, she only has P8 billion," he said, without saying who the woman was.

But apparently, Duterte was referring to one of the ABS CBN's executives.

Duterte reiterated he did not receive campaign contributions from the elites in the country because he did not want to be indebted to them.

He said it was only under his administration that he was able to recover government property, such as Mile Long, from those who were not paying the correct lease or taxes. Celerina Monte/DMS