ellen tordesillas Posts

It is heartening to see members media in the country come together raising their voices (and their fists, I imagine) against the assault to press freedom and democracy by 70 members of the House of Representatives who voted to deny the broadcast giant ABS-CBN of a new franchise.

Setting aside competition, the journalists, through their news outfits and beat press corps, issued separate statements: The Malacañang Press Corps; The Defense Press Corps of the Philippines; The Senate Reporters Press Corps; The Economic Journalists’ Association of the Philippines;

The Justice and Court Reporters’ Association; The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines; Rappler; The Philippine Daily Inquirer Reporters; The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.

Sayang, that the Social Weather Stations released its survey on the sentiments of adult Filipinos on the ABS-CBN franchise the day after 70 members the House committee on legislative franchises voted to deny it. Only 11 showed clear thinking and voted against the despicable resolution.

The special SWS survey conducted on July 3-6 while the House panel was discussing the ABS-CBN franchise, used mobile phone and computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) among 1,555 adult Filipinos (18 years old and above) nationwide.

The result was 75 percent among the respondents want ABS-CBN’s franchise renewed; only 13 percent disagreed and only ten percent were undecided. That’s the complete opposite of what the members of Congress did last Friday, which leads us to ask whether those 70 ever consult the people they are supposed to represent.

Cavite 7th District Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla said ABS-CBN “played up” his blunder during the July 1 hearing on the media giant’s bid for another 25-year franchise where TV cameras caught him writing a note while the Philippine National Anthem was being played.

“As usual, the ABS-CBN people are the ones playing it up now on social media,” he said.

Days later, also during the ABS-CBN franchise hearing, Remulla complained about the “cyber bullying” that he suffered that prompted him to lodge a complaint with the National Bureau of Investigation.

“I thought this wise because we are doing our job for this country, we are not doing this job for personal reason. This matter of scrutinizing a constitutional franchise, this franchise of ABS-CBN, is a constitutional duty. Ito ay aming tungkulin sa ilalim ng Saligang Batas na tingnan ang bagay na ito,” he said.