Lawmakers push for ABS-CBN’s return on air

MANILA, Philippines — Proponents of ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal in Congress yesterday vowed continued support for the return of the network giant on air.

Deputy Speaker and Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza and members of the Makabayan bloc expressed hope that the network giant would return on air a year after losing its franchise.

“I believe the ABS-CBN issue will once again rise up and it is certain that the network will open up and one day come back on air,” Atienza stressed in a statement.

The House leader insisted that “one of the greatest injustices in Philippine governance and Philippine history is the closure of a responsible media network.”

“The shutdown of ABS-CBN was clearly a mistrial and a total misdelivery of justice. But you can never put a good network down. The network was accused of allegedly violating laws, including the Constitution. But nothing was proven,” he declared.

“After a lengthy 13 hearings of the franchise committee and after all resource persons presented their side, none of the accusations were proven, and yet their conclusion was still guilty,” Atienza lamented.

Makabayan lawmakers agreed with Atienza and again accused the Duterte administration of being behind the network’s closure.

“Duterte placed on the edge of a precipice 11,000 jobs in the middle of a raging pandemic and a worsening economy,” Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Ferdie Gaite alleged.

“Duterte might have won that battle against press freedom a year ago, but the war is far from over. We continue to stand with ABS-CBN workers, we continue to stand for press freedom and democracy. We will not be tired of supporting the battle of ABS-CBN workers to return to their jobs. We will continue to fight for them in Congress,” Gaite assured.

ABS-CBN went off air on May 5 last year after its 25-year franchise lapsed.

The House legislative franchises panel then voted 70-11 in July to reject the application for franchise renewal of ABS-CBN due to “numerous violations” of franchise and related laws committed by the network.

The ABS-CBN franchise renewal bills were refiled last January, but the House leadership deemed it best to leave the matter to the next Congress to resolve.