Majority of Filipinos support license renewal for embattled ABS-CBN - poll

FILE PHOTO: A journalist lights a candle outside the ABS-CBN headquarters, following Philippine congress' vote against the broadcast network's franchise renewal, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, July 10, 2020. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

MANILA (Reuters) - Three out of four Filipinos wanted Philippine lawmakers to renew a 25-year license for the country's top broadcaster, a survey by a private pollster showed late on Saturday, a day after Congress rejected ABS-CBN Corp's bid to have it renewed.

Critics saw the rejection as part of a political vendetta by President Rodrigo Duterte's allies in Congress after the media conglomerate angered him for its failure to air some of his paid 2016 election campaign commercials. The network has apologised.