Media shouldn’t be made to get franchises

Finally we learned about the immediate closure of ABS-CBN as of yesterday. The whole trouble stems from the fact that it really is high time to change our Constitution. While we support the continued operation of ABS-CBN on its broadcast facilities, we also support the move of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to stop companies with expired franchises from continuing to operate.

Please don’t use the current COVID-19 issue as your excuse for the continued operation of ABS-CBN. If an airline company’s franchise has expired… then it is incumbent upon the government regulators to prevent them from operating without a new franchise. How would you feel when an airline whose franchise has expired continuing to fly its routes? Don’t you think you would complain this to the CAAP?

Too many people talk about preserving Press Freedom… so why not change the 1987 Constitution and no longer require media outlets or networks (television, radios or newspapers) from getting a franchise to operate just like buses, jeepneys, ships and airlines. Media should not be required to get franchises. This for me is the root of this problem and it is high time for us to change our Constitution to serve our people!

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In my column last Tuesday we once again batted for the return of the Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC) especially that the school year is fast approaching. That issue elicited a comment from an old friend whom I have known for three decades. I didn’t know that he is the national commander of the University of the Philippines Vanguard. Here’s his email.

“Bay: Ok tong imong column. I am currently the National Commander of the UP Vanguard. We are at the forefront of the ROTC restoration but we have enhanced the program greatly. The bill we are supporting has already passed the technical working group level and is now with the committees of higher and technical education and basic education. My colleagues will email to you the  bill as well as our (UP Vanguard) position paper supporting the bill.

Help us get it out of the House and get on to the Senate. We have the support of the leadership in the House already. Ayo-ayo and stay safe always…Guido.”

Thanks for your letter Guido… and the issues your group has forwarded to me. Honestly I didn’t know that one of the issues that needed to be looked into before restoring the ROTC to our schools is the issue whether the ROTC would be violative of the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (OPAC).

With this provision I’m positive that the coming law prepared for the return of the ROTC to schools would not be violative of OPAC. Here’s what the UP Vanguard sent to me… and I will only present to you its title as it is quite a long discussion.

It is entitled “An Act Instituting the Citizen Service Training Course, Establishing the Citizens Service Corps and Creating the Citizens Service Mobilization Commission For The Purpose and Appropriating Funds Thereof. Hereby established a Citizens Service Corps which shall be composed of all the graduates of CSTC and may be called upon and mobilized to assist the national government, its agencies and instrumentalities, and the local government units in their functions related to external and territorial defense, internal security and peace and order, and disaster risk reduction and management.

In this current fight against the unseen enemy called COVID-19, it would have been great if the ROTC has supported our frontline solders in assuring the public that people should not be roaming around on streets unless they have the proper permits to allow them to get out of the house to purchase necessary items.

So it is of utmost importance that we need to properly train the ROTC not just for military training to help the nation if we are invaded (majority of armed guerrillas during World War II were ROTC graduates) or if we experienced having natural disasters like a dozen typhoons every year or earthquakes that happen frequently in this country. This means that the ROTC of today should be equipped to help in search and rescue operations or fighting operations against COVID-19.

Another emailed letter in response to my ROTC article came from Victor A. Sanoy from Canada. He says, “Beside from our Partime Soldiers, where anyone can enlist age 18 and above (this is a real combat ready reservist that train side by side with regular forces) on part time continuing basis while in Reserve service?” I can only second guess that Canada was one of the nations that supported the US and the UK during World War II. Thanks to their support of ROTC.

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