The Negros Press Club (NPC) stands with the media workers of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. affected by the shutdown of the network ordered by the National Telecommunications Commission on Tuesday.
The cease and desist order could not have come at a worse time.
The closure of broadcast giant ABS-CBN affects more than its 11,000 workers nationwide as they will lose their jobs amid the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.
Media workers are considered frontliners, too as they continuously work to inform and educate the public during this global health crisis.
ABS-CBN is one of the media institutions that never ceased to inform the public about what is happening in the country, may it be good or bad, from stories of hope and successes to stories of defeat and tragedy.
In this difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic, free flow of information and public service delivered by the news media is essential and critical.
The Negros Press Club is one with the workers of ABS-CBN, who are now faced with uncertainty at this time of COVID-19.
We call on the Congress to expedite its deliberation and action on the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN.
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KBP statement on NTC Cease & Desist Order vs ABS-CBN
The Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, (KBP), the national association of broadcasters of the Philippines, strongly condemns the decision of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to order ABS-CBN to cease and desist from operating its broadcasting stations. The decision is unfair not only to the network and the thousands who depend on the network for their livelihood but, even more important, to the millions of people served by the Network through its broadcasting activities.
The decision of the NTC could not have come at a worse time. ABS-CBN is performing a valuable service to the public in the midst of a public service emergency not only by providing important news and information to keep the public safe and prevent the spread of the coronavirus but also in giving the public much relief from the mental and emotional pressures of quarantine by continuing to broadcast its entertainment programs. Without warning, both the public and the government are deprived of that service. It creates an unnecessary distraction for both government and the private sector from focusing on saving lives and keeping people safe.
The NTC undermines the expectations of almost everyone regarding the continued service of ABS-CBN. These expectations have been established this March 2020 when Congress, both the Senate and the House of Representatives, affirming its power over the granting and dissolution of franchises have agreed with the Department of Justice and the NTC on a legal remedy that would allow ABS-CBN to continue operating while the process of evaluating ABS-CBN’s application for the renewal of its franchise is still pending. Clearly, the NTC had reneged on this agreement. What is even more damaging and injurious is that it had done so at the very last minute, without any hint or warning to anyone.
We urge the government to adopt the equitable remedy, consistent with precedence practiced by NTC with the broadcast industry and adopted by both houses of Congress, of considering the permits and authorizations granted to ABS-CBN extended while evaluation of the application for extension of ABS-CBN’s franchise is pending. We submit that this position is one that better serves the public’s interest.
Finally, the KBP also urges Congress to expedite its deliberation on the application of ABS-CBN that has been filed and pending before it on several occasions.
Atty. Rodulph Steve Jularbal
KBP Legal Counsel and Spokesperson
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FOCAP statement on the order by NTC for ABS-CBN to stop broadcast operations
The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines condemns the National Telecommunications Commission’s order to shut down the television and radio stations of ABS-CBN Corp., the country’s largest broadcaster.
The order threatens press freedom at a time when the public needs an unfettered press the most.
As the Philippines reels from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, ABS-CBN’s critical eye is needed now more than ever to help inform the public.
ABS-CBN’s indefatigable journalists have fully embraced their role to provide the public with vital information on the pandemic despite risks to their health and safety.
The move is clearly a case of political harassment against a pillar of Philippine democracy that employs thousands of Filipinos whose livelihoods are now at risk with the order.
The order runs counter to weeks of seeming assurance from lawmakers and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra that a provisional license approved either by the NTC or by Congress would allow ABS-CBN to air.
It follows a warning, on World Press Freedom Day no less, by the government’s top lawyer, Jose Calida, of graft charges should the NTC go through with issuing a temporary broadcast permit.
We urge Congress to independently act on pending measures seeking to renew ABS-CBN’s franchise. Our lawmakers must tackle these measures as soon as possible, and uphold the freedom of the press that the 1987 Constitution guarantees.
FOCAP was founded in 1974 to safeguard press freedom. We stand with ABS-CBN. We stand with press freedom.
#DefendPressFreedom
#NoToABSCBNShutdown
