My two cents’ worth on the CDO issued against ABS-CBN

I am writing this on Wednesday, May 6, the day after we received the news that the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) had issued a cease and desist order (CDO) against ABS-CBN. I was in the studio yesterday (May 5) doing my weekday program Pasada 630 when Marah Capuyan, head of DZMM, entered the booth and broke the news. I was aghast and livid. I hurriedly read the order and Marah gave instructions to have Alvin Elchico sit in the booth with me while Peter Musñgi was on Zoom. Alvin had just finished interviewing Deputy Commissioner Ed Cabarios of NTC over the phone, and we tried to call him again for another interview but his line was unattended (he was later interviewed on Dos por Dos).

We interviewed Nonoy Espina, chairman of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), and he decried that what NTC did was suppression of press freedom, two days after the observation of World Press Freedom Day. We, then, spoke to Rep. Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna and Rep. Tony Pet Albano, vice chair of the House Committee on Legislative Franchises, and both congressmen expressed anger at NTC for not honoring their previous assurance that they’d grant ABS-CBN provisional authority until Congress tackled the franchise renewal. Rep. Albano then said he would consider either abolishing the NTC or giving them a budget of one peso next year.

I personally question the timing, the motive and the play. Why do this when the whole country and the rest of the world are in the grip of a pandemic? When Filipinos are locked in their homes and in desperate need of news and entertainment to get them through their daily struggle? Why the sudden urgency to shut ABS-CBN? Why single out ABS-CBN when there are other franchise renewals pending before congress?

I am neither a politician (thank God) nor an analyst. I am just a humble employee who has worked in ABS-CBN for 22 years collectively, whose heart now bleeds together with the hearts of 11,000 plus other employees whose lives and livelihood are now threatened. As attested to by the BIR, SEC and NTC during the senate hearing last Feb. 24, we did not violate any laws. What we did do was earn the ire of President Rodrigo Duterte when we failed to air some of his campaign ads in 2016 and return the balance of his unaired advertising budget immediately. For this, our president and CEO Carlo Katigbak publicly apologized. President Duterte then accepted the apology and directed Congress to swiftly act on our franchise renewal. And yet, they delayed the issue and came up with the lamest and dumbest excuses imaginable.

Sadly, we also have the solicitor general to contend with. He was so eager to flex his powers and abusive authority that he filed a quo warranto case against ABS-CBN, forcing the media giant to fight two battles: One in Congress and the other in the Supreme Court and by threatening NTC that he will file graft charges against NTC officials if they grant a provisional authority to ABS-CBN despite an earlier Memorandum Order No. 03-03-2020 (signed by Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba), which extends the validity of NTC issued permits and licenses during the COVID-19 Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). We acknowledge that we’ve made mistakes and that we’re not perfect, but is the penance commensurate to the sin? Is shutting down the network the only way it can atone for its sins?

I knock and implore on the hearts of every Filipino whom ABS-CBN has touched, served and entertained for the last 65 years to show their love for the network on their social media accounts (FB, IG, Twitter). You can also write to your congressman, most especially to the First District Representative of Taguig Allan Peter Cayetano, and request him/her to renew our franchise posthaste and quit the dilly-dallying so that ABS-CBN will be allowed to broadcast again. If nothing comes of requesting the NTC, Congress, the Senate and Malacañang to listen to reason and the voice of the Filipino people, let’s storm the gates of heaven and pray for compassion and redemption. After all, prayers can move mountains and the faith of the Filipino is steadfast and unwavering.

Mabuhay ang ABS-CBN! Noon, ngayon at sa mahaba pang panahon, patuloy na maglilingkod sa bawat pamilyang Pilipino…saan man sa mundo.