Angel Locsin. Image: Instagram/@therealangellocsin
Actress Angel Locsin called out fellow celebrities who have remained silent in the wake of ABS-CBN’s shutdown, urging them to speak up since they no longer have a career or image to protect.
Locsin addressed the crowd who gathered for a noise barrage outside ABS-CBN headquarters in Quezon City yesterday, July 18, and delivered a message for her showbiz colleagues.
A video of her speech was posted on her Facebook page yesterday.
“Sa mga kapwa kong artistang hindi nagsasalita, may career pa ba kayo? Wala na kayong network!” she said.
(To my fellow actors who are not speaking, do you still have a career? You don’t have a network anymore!)
“Kahit magpa-cute kayo diyan sa Instagram, nagsend kayo ng mga sad face, hindi n’yo nadadamayan ang mga katrabaho n’yo na dahilan kung bakit kayo sumikat!”
(Even if you try to look cute on Instagram, sending a sad face, you are not sympathizing with your fellow workers who are the reason why you became famous.)
“‘Wag kayong matakot. Wala na kayong pinoprotektahan na career o image,” Locsin added.
(Don’t be afraid. You don’t have a career or image to protect anymore.)
“Naiintindihan ko, tayong mga artista, expected na dapat tahimik lang tayo. Dapat sweet lang tayo, dapat neutral para walang kalaban,” she said. “Pero pag hindi tayo nagsalita, ibig sabihin no’n, kinampihan natin ang mali.”
(I understand that we actors are expected to be quiet. We should be sweet, we should be neutral so that we don’t have enemies. But if we don’t speak, it means we side with what is wrong.)
‘Ito ang tama para sa mga tao’
Locsin also stressed that her fight for ABS-CBN was not only personal, it is also for what she believes is right for the people who suffer most from the shutdown.
“Hindi ako mayaman. Wala akong shares sa ABS-CBN. Wala akong kontrata. Mga taong ‘to, sila ang nagbigay ng trabaho sa akin,” she said.
(I am not rich. I do not have shares with ABS-CBN. I don’t have a contract. These people gave me a job.)
“May utang na loob ako sa kanila. Pero ginagawa ko ‘to dahil ito ang tama para sa mga tao,” she stressed.
(I have a debt of gratitude to them. But I am doing this because it is what is right for the people.)
“Hahayaan ba natin na ang laban ng mga mayayaman, ang mga mahihirap ang magdusa?” she asked the crowd.
(Will we let the poor suffer for the fight of the rich?)
Noise barrages have been held outside ABS-CBN headquarters after Congress voted against the franchise renewal of the media giant on July 10. ABS-CBN announced on Wednesday, July 15 that it will begin retrenching workers by the end of August since it cannot operate without a franchise. JB