The franchise renewal issue
"How about the Filipino nation? This is what Sen. Dela Rosa is asking as a response to the plight of the 11,000 employees of ABS-CBN should it close down. He is comparing the supposedly bigger impact on the Filipino people should the station continue to operate.
Maybe Sen. Dela Rosa should come up with a list of how the station has badly affected the nation or the people in order to justify his statement. Being part of the station for so many years, I know that ABS-CBN is into public service, has charitable programs and advocacies, active in disaster relief, has entertainment programs widely enjoyed by many and, more importantly, informs the public through the news in both radio and TV. Did I miss what Dela Rosa was pointing out?
The BIR has also issued a statement that ABS-CBN does not have any tax arrears. So what exactly is the station doing that affects the whole nation?
Dela Rosa also made it very clear where his loyalty lies even if he is an elected official who must serve the public. He declares his heartfelt loyalty to President Duterte with whom he is willing to "live and die". But he quickly adds that he has his own mind and will not blindly follow the president. You guys just try to figure that out. A clear study in contradiction.
The Senate will hold a hearing on the ABS-CBN franchise on Monday, February 24, with the promise of not coming out with a report because Congress has yet to tackle the franchise renewal. The attendance of a majority of the senators is expected. I guess the Senate decided to officially discuss the franchise renewal with the obvious foot-dragging by Congress. I expect some "noise" from known administration senators during the hearing. We will see if the Senate will divide itself along party lines, or will some cross-over.
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On another note, do you really believe that all the CCTV cameras were either defective or submitted blurred images at the time of the murder of Fredric Santos, the lawyer who testified at the Senate regarding the GCTA? What a fantastic coincidence. Here we have the murder of a very important resource person on the abuses going on at the Bilibid Prison and it so happens none of the cameras recorded anything. Senator Gordon was spot on to say "can we all wake up to this?"
Well, what can I say but these are the times when murder is prevalent as we listen to the PNP declare a decrease in crime. Perhaps petty crime but the violent and significant ones like the murder of Santos continues. Obviously, people did not want him to give him more chances to talk. The GCTA issue seems to have been sidetracked because of several events. This murder puts it back in the limelight.
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