The Closure of ABS- CBN

For many years, the Filipino people had received a heartfelt and warming service
from the country’s largest broadcast television and radio network. ABS- CBN is the best
representation of press freedom as well as being a family. However, it is deeply
saddening that the government suddenly rejected the renewal of their franchise. They
did not only shutdown the network but they also shut down the happiness, hopes,
dreams, freedom, home, democracy, opportunities of every worker, source of income
and right to be heard once again of every citizen of the Philippines.
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), a government regulatory
agency under the office of the president, issued a “cease and desist” order on May 5,
2020 against ABS-CBN after the expiration of their congressional franchise. Solicitor
General Jose Calida, government’s chief lawyer, warned the commission against
granting ABS-CBN a provisional extension to operate as some members of Congress
had requested. President Rodrigo Duterte confirmed last December 2019 that he
would not allow the license renewal: “I’m sorry. You’re out. I will see to it that you’re
out.”
Despite the fact that the network did not breach laws, the government still
managed to shut their service due to personal reasons. The moment when Duterte was
declared as the president in year 2016, he started complaining to the network because
he accused it of being biased against him and criticizing it for failing to air his 2016
presidential campaign advertisements. ABS-CBN denied the bias charge but they
apologized to the president for its failure to air the ads and explained why.
Actually, the defenders of ABS-CBN in their last hearing insisted that the
embattled media network deserves a franchise because the government officials
cleared it of any wrongdoing. Deputy Minority Leader Carlos Zarate, the representative
who delivered the closing arguments of ABS-CBN, stated that why would they punish a
company that did not breach our laws? All of the accusations including issues of taxes,
labor conditions, and foreign ownership were successfully defended.
It was supported by the statement of Ricardo Tan, ABS-CBN Corporation group
chief finance officer, that from 2003 to 2009, ABS-CBN as a group paid P71.5 billion
pesos and met all the existing quotas for the network’s taxes. Also, The ABS-CBN
chairman emeritus Eugenio ‘’Gabby’’ Lopez III’s dual citizenship was questioned in this
case but the Department of Justice was able to confirm that he is both Filipino and
American.
Clearly, the judgment was not based on the country’s law but, on the issues of
the president. A leader who only thought of himself is not a leader who deserves to be
declared and served.
On the other hand, ABS-CBN’s coverage of the “drug war,” wherein the police
and their agents have extrajudicially executed thousands of alleged drug users and
dealers ever since Duterte seated on his position, has won praise in the Philippines and
abroad. This proves that they are not really too much against with the platforms
implemented by Duterte. However, his government has forced to stop the operation of
this news organization.
Human Rights Watch stated that The Philippines’ license renewal process allows
congress to put inappropriate pressure on broadcast networks. The United Nations
Human Rights Committee, the independent expert body that monitors government
compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the
Philippines is a party, has stated that governments “must avoid imposing onerous
licensing conditions … on the broadcast media. The criteria for the application of such
conditions and license fees should be reasonable and objective, clear, transparent,
nondiscriminatory, and otherwise in compliance with the Covenant.”
According to the news of Rosario (2020), “The Duterte administration is using a
back-door method against ABS-CBN as the president’s latest way to suppress freedom
of the press,” Robertson said. “Those concerned about public health messaging and
the Covid-19 crisis in the Philippines should call on legislators to right this wrong, get
ABS-CBN back on the air, and protect media freedom throughout the country.”
Is it really a human deed to makes things worse? Knowing that there exists a
virus that could kill anyone anytime, Duterte’s government even prioritizes to remove
the jobs of 11,000 workers. Instead of granting those hopes and help, they even make
the other people’s lives harder.
To end this, the citizens deserve a network who will serve for them and not a
leader who will serve for himself. The law in this case does not exists to protect the
people of the country but, it exists to protect a selfish and dictator leader. Remember
that the reason on why the company, government, and all of the sectors was founded is
because they must offer themselves for the betterment of the other people, not of his
own good.