STATEMENT OF UPD UNIVERSITY FRESHIE COUNCIL ON 2ND-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF ABS-CBN SHUTDOWN

UPHOLD PRESS FREEDOM!

On May 05, two years ago, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issued a cease-and-desist order, effectively shutting down the operations of the media and entertainment giant, ABS-CBN. Prior to this, approximately 11,000 ABS-CBN workers lost their jobs amid the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. It can be recalled how the media workers, the network’s artists, and the staff expressed their dissent against the government, hopelessly seeking to find ways on how they can get through the pandemic without a source of income. With newsrooms shut, the appearance of a static on their channel marked the end of it all. A year later, on July 10, 2020, alleged claims of labor and tax violations, and foreign ownership, among others, have led the House Committee on Legislative Franchises to reject ABS-CBN’s bid for a new 25-year franchise. The network was also slammed for their ‘politically biased’ coverage of the 2016 national elections. Several attempts were made for the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN with house hearings being conducted, but in all this, Duterte has consistently stated his opposition to the network's franchise renewal, even describing the effort as "a piece of garbage." Two years after the controversy, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on January 25, granted provisional authority to Villar’s Advanced Media Broadcasting System (AMBS) through ABS-CBN’s former digital TV frequency. This tactic only goes to show how desperately they are taking advantage of the situation, capitalizing on what should have been of benefit to thousands of media professionals, as well as the broader public.

It is a desperate move to silence the press in the middle of a pandemic where information is most important. Any act that limits the media’s freedom to critical reportage is a blatant act of censorship and repression of our democracy. Ironically, this occurred two days after the celebration of the World Press Freedom Day. We don’t owe it to the government to pave the way for such a celebration more so if this doesn’t do anything to the current media landscape of the country. The recent passing of the RA 11699 declaring every August 30 as National Press Freedom Day is a band aid solution and a facade to distort the horrors that the press experienced under the Duterte regime.

The UP Diliman University Freshie Council, together with the Freshies, Shiftees, and Transfeeres ng Bayan, strongly condemn this attack on press freedom and continue to fight for the rights of journalists, writers, reports, and all media workers in the line of fire against the atrocities of the administration.

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REFERENCES:

Gita-Carlos, R. (2021, Mar. 06). Duterte says ABS-CBN franchise renewal bid ‘piece of garbage’. Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1132769

Gita-Carlos, R. (2022, Apr. 27). PRRD declares August 30 as Nat’l Press Freedom Day. Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1173063

Madaran, C. (2020, Jul. 07). What lawmakers got wrong: Highlights of 12th House hearing on ABS-CBN franchise. Interaksyon. https://interaksyon.philstar.com/.../what-lawmakers-got.../

Rey. A. (2022, Jan 25). Manny Villar gets ABS-CBN frequencies. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/.../manny-villar-gets-abs-cbn.../

Rosario, B. (2021, Jul. 11). Joblessness among 11,000 displaced ABS-CBN workers still grave concern - Lower House officials. Manila Bulletin. https://mb.com.ph/.../joblessness-among-11000-displaced.../ Image: BBC News