Martial law activists: ABS-CBN closure ‘merciless’, ‘oppression’ of press freedom
Retired judge Meinrado Paredes and veteran lawyer Democrito Barcenas are two Cebuano figures, who were in the struggle for democracy during the martial law rule of the late former president Ferdinand Marcos. | CDN file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Activists and human rights lawyers during the Martial Law regime have joined among the voices condemning the denial of the renewal of the franchise of the Kapamilya network.
Retired Judge Meinrado Paredes and veteran Lawyer Democrito Barcenas echoed that it was “merciless and insensitive” for the House of Representative to turn down the franchise application, effectively closing the network, when the jobs of its employees were also at stake.
Paredes said the Congress “mercilessly” took the jobs of the network’s employees while striking a serious blow to press freedom.
“Katong gihimo sa mga congressmen, oppressive to siya. Ang ilang gibuhat is a serious blow to press freedom. Daghan ang nawad-an og trabaho, mga way kaluoy,” Paredes told CDN Digital.
(What the congressmen did was oppressive. What they did is a serious blow to press freedom. Many have lost their jobs. They are merciless.)
“They deprived the people of a source of information and entertainment when they are needed most. So, I condemn [the] congressmen who did this,” he added.
READ: Cebu City solons lament House panel decision to deny ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal
Voting 70-11, the House committee on legislative franchises denied on Friday, July 10, the network’s bid for its franchise renewal, effectively preventing from going back on the air after its previous 25-year franchise expired on May 4 and the National Telecommunications Commission’s subsequent issuance of a cease and desist order against the network.
The voting came after 12 hearings held by the House committee where resource persons from different concerned government agencies and from ABS-CBN answered the alleged violations of the network.
READ: SEC, BIR: ABS-CBN has no violations, regularly paying taxes
“The decision of the house shows that they are insensitive to the plight of the more than 11,000 employees and laborers of ABS-CBN. In this time of the pandemic when people are suffering from economic crisis and loss of jobs, it would be the height of stupidity to close down a giant institution that has employed more than 11,000 employees,” Barcenas said.
Despite Malacañang’s denial of having any hand at the House’s denial of the franchise renewal, Barcenas alleged that Congress’ move showed that the lower house is not truly independent from the Executive.
“The closure of ABS CBN shows that the Hosue of Representative is a congregation of seedless puppets,” Barcenas said.
In December 2019, President Duterte told the network to just sell their franchise after several occasions that he threatened to see to it that their franchise will not be renewed.
READ: Duterte to ABS-CBN: ‘I will see to it that you are out
READ: BREAKING: Duterte tells ABS-CBN to just sell the network
“I hope that after this authoritarian darkness is over, we can still observe the efforts to revive, if we can do it legally, the franchise of ABS CBN. Not in the present composition of the House,” Barcenas said.
Paredes also branded the Congress’ move as similar, at a lower degree, to the shutting down of media outfits during the Martial Law regime of the late president Ferdinand Marcos.
ABS-CBN was also among the media outlets that were padlocked in September 1972, shortly after the declaration of martial law.
“Pupareha lang. The only difference is gi-weaponize nila ang balaod to suppress the freedom of the press and expression,” Paredes said.
(It is similar to what happened during the martial law. The only difference is how they weaponized the law to supress the freedom of the press and of expression.)
However, Paredes, who was among the defenders of the human rights victims during the martial law regime, said the experience during the military rule was still a darker past.
“Hinuon, mas grabe to si Marcos kay one clean sweep, all newspaper, all radio, all television, including campus publication gisirado,” Paredes said.
(Marcos’ time was worse because in one clean sweep, all newspapers, all radio, all television, including campus publication, were shut.)/dbs
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