PERHAPS the most abused words these past weeks is “press freedom” and anybody who thinks he/she is somebody uses these two words with reckless abandon in every other sentence, dropping them with emphasis as if he/she really knows what it means.
I thought that since “Le Affair ABS-CBN” is done and dusted, the usual suspects will move on to the next trendy issue and we’ll be finally spared of these trendy social-climbing millennials and out-of- work artista ng bayan name dropping “press freedom” while pledging undying love to the cult of the kapamilya forever.
We’ll, they’re still at it, but the curve seems to be flattening and when the next trendy issue comes expect the usual suspects to embrace it, in the process even bash their parents on social media even if they’re still staying at their parents’ house and living off them.
In the meantime, we continue with “Le Affair ABS-CBN”. So for the nth time what happened to them is that their franchise expired and they failed to renew it.
A franchise is a privilege, not a right, and that privilege or license to operate is awarded by the State to any entity if it is deemed fit, otherwise no.
And why is ABS-CBN not deemed fit to have a franchise? It is because of the following issues:
* Lopez’s dual citizenship
* issuance of PDRs
* ABS-CBN TV Plus Box, KBO pay-per-view
* failure to regularize employees
* tax issues
I need not elaborate on these issues enumerated as they were all thoroughly discussed during the committee hearings which were covered and televised live.
Take note, folks, that a business franchise to operate when expired and not renewed simply means that you cannot use the frequency assigned to you anymore; it does not mean you will shut up. As of today the ABS-CBN News Channel or ANC on cable television is still broadcasting as usual with Karen Davila et al. doing their best impression of what an anti-Duterte broadcaster should be.
So this is never about press freedom. This is all about franchise renewal, nothing more and nothing less. Any journalist worth his/her salt is fully aware that “press freedom” to say or write what you want in these islands is not controlled by the government but by the publisher for print or the owners of the television/radio station for broadcast. The only true press freedom is in social media; you can post what you want at your risk and you are only accountable to yourself.
By the way, with ABS-CBN off the air these past weeks, was there a dearth of information on the pandemic and other issues? No. There was none, and nobody even noticed their absence.
Excerpts from the committee report on the denied ABS-CBN franchise renewal application:
“It is what it is – a denial of a privilege granted by the State because the applicant was seen as undeserving of the grant of a legislative franchise. By no means can this franchise application be related to press freedom,” the Committee resolution read.
“If it were so, then all applicants for legislative franchises covering mass media could simply claim such freedom and force the hand of this Committee each time,” it added. “Such a scenario is totally inconsistent with the nature of legislative franchises as a mere privilege and never a matter of right.”
And here are excerpts from the Statement of Solicitor-General Jose Calida on the denial of the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise:
The granting of a legislative franchise is a privilege, not a right. Congress has ascertained that ABS-CBN is unworthy of a legislative franchise and its decision must be accorded respect. The denial of ABS-CBN’s franchise cannot be characterized as a restraint on freedom of expression or of the press because the primordial effect of such denial is the upholding of the constitutional provision and laws governing media companies like ABS-CBN. Congress has done its duty under the Constitution, and by its action, the rule of law has been upheld.
Justice has been served.
From National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose:
The Filipinos do not really need ABS-CBN. It does not produce goods or food. It has certainly entertained millions but it did not diminish poverty. Again, freedom worked for the rich — but not for the Filipinos…
And that’s exactly what ABS-CBN is. It is in the business primarily for entertainment, not news or information as these just come secondary to give it a semblance of public service. Have you noticed their programming when they were still on air? At best between 10 to 20 percent was for news and public affairs the rest was devoted to entertainment i.e. soap operas, noontime shows, dramas, Korean telenovelas etc.
And it is because of these telenovelas, noontime shows that most of those pledging undying love as kapamilya forever are star-struck fans and out-of-job artista ng bayan.
Kapamilya forever, why? Are you a stockholder of ABS-CBN? Are you related to the Lopezes? Does Karlo Katigbak even know you? Or you’re just a social climber desperately trying to be trendy?
Yup, I thought so! (brotherlouie16@gmail.com/PN)
