MANILA, Philippines — Senators slammed a lower house committee for rejecting a bid for franchise renewal of media giant ABS-CBN, a move they said marked a weakening of democracy and put in jeopardy the livelihoods of more than 11,000 workers.
An overwhelming 70 legislators at the lower chamber voted to reject a new broadcast franchise for ABS-CBN, following through President Rodrigo Duterte’s threats to pull the plug on the network.
Only 11 lawmakers voted against the report of the House committee on legislative franchises to deny the bid of the country’s top broadcaster for franchise renewal. Two legislators inhibited, while one abstained.
In a statement, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the move of the House panel was reminiscent of the “dark pages” in the history of Philippine press in 1972 when Martial Law was declared.
“Democracy thrives when there is free press and when journalists can exercise complete freedom to do their mandate of reporting facts without fear. But with what happened to ABS-CBN, it has shown that the ‘sword of Damocles’ can be unleashed any time,” Drilon said.
“The sword of Damocles will continue to hang perilously over other media networks. Both the legislators and the executive can wield the sword at their whim and caprice. This is when democracy starts to weaken,” he added.
For Sen. Risa Hontiveros, the non-renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise sets a dangerous precedent.
“Because government allowed politicking in the process of renewing a legislative franchise and succeeded in shutting down a media institution, we have begun to ring the death knell of press freedom in the country,” Hontiveros said.
“The political persecution of ABS-CBN sends a chilling message to Filipino media practitioners and journalists: toe the line or get shut down,” the opposition senator added.
Real casualties
Drilon said that while the ABS-CBN as an institution can survive this difficult trial, its workers are the “real casualties of this unfortunate and politically-charged event.”
“The 11,000 workers losing jobs next month have families to feed, rent and mortgages to pay and children to send to schools. They will suffer the consequences of the decision of the House of Representatives,” he said.
Sen. Sonny Angara said the move will have a bad effect not only on the country’s democracy but also its economy.
“Masama ang magiging epekto sa ekonomiya nito di lamang sa media o broadcasting industry kung saan isang industry leader ang ABS, kundi sa industriya ng advertising at sa creative industries o pursuits—producing, editing, music scoring, acting, directing, set design, atbp,” Angara said.
(This will have bad effects on the economy not only in the media or broadcasting industry where ABS-CBN is an industry leader but also in the industry of advertising and creative industries or pursuits—producing, editing, music scoring, acting, directing, set design.)
ABS-CBN was forced off air at a time when access to accurate information is needed more than ever as the country struggles to battle the coronavirus pandemic that has sickened over 50,000 people.
It was the second time it was shut down after late dictator Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law in September 1972.
“While Filipinos are struggling with an unprecedented public health crisis brought by COVID-19, we have limited their access to life-saving information through the closure of a major media network that services at least 69 million Filipinos,” Hontiveros said.
“At a time when Filipinos are sick, jobless, and hungry, history will judge those who tried to silence the truth. History will be harsh to those who ignored the most basic needs of Filipinos during this pandemic and instead used it to consolidate power for selfish reasons,” she added as she called on the public to speak out against this “outrageous act of political persecution” and protect the cause of free press in the Philippines.
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