Closed Duterte's Congress allies back order to shut Philippines' ABS-CBN

Allies of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in the House of Representatives voted on Friday to deny the renewal of ABS-CBN's broadcast franchise, affirming a government order to shut down the country's largest television network in a move critics say is a major blow to press freedom in the Southeast Asian nation.

Congress members voted against giving the company another 25-year licence to operate after a total of 12 public hearings and testimony establishing the channel had violated no legal provisions.

Of the 85 committee members in charge of the renewal, 70 voted to deny, 11 voted for the renewal, two voted to inhibit and one abstained from voting.

In a last-minute move, at least two sponsors of the legislation pushing for the renewal withdrew their support.

Ahead of the vote, Carlos Zarate, a minority House member, made a last-minute plea for approval saying, "Why would we punish a company that did not breach our laws?"

But Rodante Marcoleta, a majority member of the House and one of the channel's fiercest critics, said regardless of the legal argument in favour of ABS-CBN, "it is the will of Congress that should be accorded due respect", whether they vote for or against.

Supporters of the country's largest TV network ABS-CBN shout slogans during a rally outside the House of Representatives on Thursday [Aaron Favila/AP]
In the same session, Alan Peter Cayetano, Duterte's handpicked House Speaker, hinted about the outcome of the vote, arguing that it was "not press freedom" that was at stake. He said it was a question of the media protecting its own business interests.

Cayetano, who was Duterte's vice presidential running mate in 2016, had also accused ABS-CBN of "biased" reporting. The president and vice president are elected separately in the Philippines. Cayetano lost in that race.

At the final hearing on Monday, ABS-CBN News and current affairs chief Ging Reyes defended the channel's news reporting standards, which have been attacked by the president's allies.

Reyes also spoke about how the closure had denied millions of Filipinos access to information.

"The shutdown has deprived more than 69 million Filipinos of the kind of information, analysis and commentary, and public service provided by ABS-CBN News. It has cut off our reach such that two out of three viewers are unable to watch our news programmes," Reyes said.

ABS-CBN was ordered to shut on May 5 by the country's regulator, the National Telecommunication Commission, which is part of President Duterte's office, a day after the channel's 25-year franchise expired. The franchise does not cover its digital presence, its cable channel, ANC, and its global affiliate, The Filipino Channel.

But with the closure order, thousands of ABS-CBN employees could lose their jobs. According to ABS-CBN, it has a total of 11,000 permanent and freelance contract workers.

In a statement to Al Jazeera on Friday, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) denounced the House of Representatives saying "it has declared itself enemy of democracy".

"Today, this chamber has lost all claim to represent the people and our interests," NUJP said.

David Dizon, senior editor of ABS-CBN news website, told Al Jazeera that he was "gutted" by the decision of Congress, adding that in all his 20 years of working for the company, he knows that it "has always strive to pursue excellence in reporting - accurate, fair, and balanced."

"It has been a long and hard journey for ABS-CBN and to see the committee vote go that way is disheartening."

Target of Duterte's ire
Duterte has long harboured enmity towards the station, accusing it of playing favourites after refusing to run some of his political advertisements during the 2016 presidential campaign. ABS-CBN has denied the allegations, saying that only a few advertisements did not air, because the slots were already taken by other commercials.

After his election, Duterte repeatedly threatened the company with closure, declaring in 2019, "I will see to it that you are out."

Altermidya, an alternative news organisation, also said that "it is clear" that the channel "is being punished for reporting and commenting on issues in a manner unacceptable to the Duterte administration."

"It is also a warning to other media outfits that if the Duterte regime can shut down the largest broadcasting network in the country with impunity, every journalist should think twice before it reports truthfully, or criticises and dares hold government to account," it said.


ABS-CBN's coverage of the war on drugs, which has killed thousands of people, also riled the Philippine president. The network is not the first media company to have earned Duterte's ire.

His administration continues to pursue cases against the news website, Rappler, and its editor, Maria Ressa, after its extensive reporting on his war on drugs and his administration's role in spreading fake news.

The country's largest newspaper, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, was also forced to sell to an ally of the president, billionaire Ramon Ang, after Duterte threatened its owners with legal consequences. The newspaper was also critical of the drug war. In the run-up to the 2016 elections, it also reported about Duterte's alleged hidden wealth.

It is not the first time that ABS-CBN has been forced to shut by the government. In 1972, then-President Ferdinand Marcos ordered the shutdown of the network after he declared martial law.

ABS-CBN was only returned to its owner in 1986, after Marcos was overthrown in a popular revolt.

 

[H I H O]

[XX='Xxxxillusion, c: 72416, m: 1656607'][/XX] So you want to say na kapag wala na akong kamag anak na "lawyer" or may "alam" sa law does that mean na wala akong alam sa batas ng pilipinas. I would have to agree with you, wala akong alam sa batas but i am not BLIND as you! Kaya wag mong ipagyabang yang abogado sa pamilya niyo, at wag mo akong ikumpara sa mga professional lawyer kasi di hamak na mas magaling sila kesa sakin.

 

[H I H O]

Abogado nga pero nasaan ang pagka makatao? Waa diba? Brain is useless if you're in the wrong side and against the truth

 

[Fried Rice]

galingan niyo naman kasi hahaha, halatang konti lang ang edukasyon niyo eh hahaha
eto dislike, eto insulto pero ayaw mag argumento nang matino hahahaha
alam niyo naman na depensahan lahat dun sa hearing, pero sasabi pa rin na maraming violation hahaha
end of the day kayo pa rin yung bias

 

[bokbok9]

Hahaha.. galingan sa katulad mo lang?.. ano ba yung ina "Argumento" mo??? Sarado na Katol Network mo. Hindi lalabas ang mga anomalya kapag gawa gawa lang yan. Ngayong nabisto sila kukuha sila ng simpatiya sa kagaya mo??. Sige makipaglaban ka para sa kanila. Di ka naman nila kilala. Kaya kayo nasasabihan ng isang abogado na. "Mga ****"

 

[Fried Rice]

[XX='bokbok9, c: 73370, m: 1698349'][/XX] galeng hahaha, super IQ mga 70 hahaha
pake ko naman kung kilala ako nila o hindi. tsaka di mo kelangan maging abogado para ma notice ang side na tama.
alam mo naman na discussion to, syempre dapat galingan mo kahit konti, hindi yung half assed na mga sagot mo na iniiba pa sa topic.

 

[Leonz]

galingan niyo naman kasi hahaha, halatang konti lang ang edukasyon niyo eh hahaha
eto dislike, eto insulto pero ayaw mag argumento nang matino hahahaha
alam niyo naman na depensahan lahat dun sa hearing, pero sasabi pa rin na maraming violation hahaha
end of the day kayo pa rin yung bias

marami nga paglabag sa batas utak mo namn kasi ang kitid.ikaw ata wala pinag aralan .denied nga yung franchise renewal eh so ano pinaglalaban mo?hindi aayaan yan ng goverment kasi nga maraming violation.

magaling ka pa ata sa abogado e para sabihin walang violation.ipinasara nga kazi nga maraming paglabag nako nmn oohh sowss hahhaahahahah

 

[Leonz]

galingan niyo naman kasi hahaha, halatang konti lang ang edukasyon niyo eh hahaha
eto dislike, eto insulto pero ayaw mag argumento nang matino hahahaha
alam niyo naman na depensahan lahat dun sa hearing, pero sasabi pa rin na maraming violation hahaha
end of the day kayo pa rin yung bias

The previous House hearings have exhaustively discussed the network’s franchise issues, including the citizenship of ABS-CBN chair emeritus Gabby Lopez; the possible violation of the constitutional limits on foreign ownership; reported labor, and tax violations; and other violations of the terms of its legislative franchise.

The TWG noted in its report on findings and recommendations that the network’s franchise application is not a press freedom issue.

“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,” it said.

 

[Leonz]

marami nga paglabag sa batas utak mo namn kasi ang kitid.ikaw ata wala pinag aralan .denied nga yung franchise renewal eh so ano pinaglalaban mo?hindi aayaan yan ng goverment kasi nga maraming violation.

magaling ka pa ata sa abogado e para sabihin walang violation.ipinasara nga kazi nga maraming paglabag nako nmn oohh sowss hahhaahahahah

The report also noted that the issuance of Philippine depositary receipts (PDR) to foreigners has allowed foreign ownership in ABS-CBN, which could have violated the 1987 Constitution.

It said the mechanism of “corporate layering” employed by ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN Holdings effectively makes the PDR holders the indirect owners of the underlying shares of stock of ABS-CBN.

It highlighted that the foreign holders of PDRs practically own 187 million underlying shares of ABS-CBN Corp., which is already 62 percent of the total.

“The impression given by the issuance of PDRs is that it was resorted to creatively allow the participation of foreigners to fully-nationalized and partially-nationalized activities,” it said

 

[Leonz]

galingan niyo naman kasi hahaha, halatang konti lang ang edukasyon niyo eh hahaha
eto dislike, eto insulto pero ayaw mag argumento nang matino hahahaha
alam niyo naman na depensahan lahat dun sa hearing, pero sasabi pa rin na maraming violation hahaha
end of the day kayo pa rin yung bias

Failure to regularize employees

The TWG report cited the Department of Labor and Employment’s official statement on July 1 declaring that its labor inspectors found violations of laws and labor standards by ABS-CBN and that there are 67 pending cases against the company in the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) and various courts.

It noted that former employees who have previously filed cases against ABS-CBN testified that they were illegally dismissed because they formed unions.

These former employees also declared that they were made to sign employment contracts containing a waiver of the right to regularization.

Those who refused to sign an employment contract containing a waiver of regularization were downgraded to project employees and later dismissed.

ABS-CBN argued that its reason for failing to regularize many of its employees was the “uniqueness” of their industry, claiming that many of these employees are hired for specific programs, which mostly only last for a period of time.

The TWG highlighted that only 25 percent or 2,661 of the total 11,701 workers of ABS-CBN are regular employees.

“While ABS-CBN gives its non-regular employees various company-initiated benefits, it can’t give the benefit most important and advantageous to them – security of tenure. It is unfortunate that a multi-billion company like ABS-CBN has not regularized its independent contractors, talents, contractuals, project, and seasonal workers who perform the functions of regular employees,” it said.

 

[Leonz]

galingan niyo naman kasi hahaha, halatang konti lang ang edukasyon niyo eh hahaha
eto dislike, eto insulto pero ayaw mag argumento nang matino hahahaha
alam niyo naman na depensahan lahat dun sa hearing, pero sasabi pa rin na maraming violation hahaha
end of the day kayo pa rin yung bias

ABS-CBN claimed it is paying proper taxes, which is allegedly proven by the Tax Clearance issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

ABS-CBN has also maintained that it did not violate the terms and conditions of its legislative franchise by availing of tax incentives offered by the government.

However, the panel said a tax clearance does not absolve a taxpayer of tax liabilities and delinquencies, nor from acts of fraud or tax evasion.

It also argued that the continuous practice of ABS-CBN in navigating through the loopholes of the system and tax laws appeared to have reached the extent of depriving the government of the taxes due.

“If we focus on the harm of tax avoidance to society, rather than how it is legally defined, then we can see that it contributes to growing inequality, increases tax burdens on resident taxpayers and undermines state legitimacy,” it said. “Although legal, the employment of tax avoidance schemes could undermine the integrity of a tax system.”

 

[Leonz]

galingan niyo naman kasi hahaha, halatang konti lang ang edukasyon niyo eh hahaha
eto dislike, eto insulto pero ayaw mag argumento nang matino hahahaha
alam niyo naman na depensahan lahat dun sa hearing, pero sasabi pa rin na maraming violation hahaha
end of the day kayo pa rin yung bias

Biased reporting, meddling in politics

The committee has refrained from giving a finding on the alleged biased reporting of the network, alleged meddling in politics, as well as the content of its programs.

“The principles of press freedom, fair comment, and self-regulation of media militate against any attempt at such ruling,” it said.

However, it encouraged ABS-CBN to carefully examine itself and understand where all the “persistent complaints” about biased reporting, inappropriate program content, and political meddling are coming from.

“Perhaps, by listening to the complaints and assessing itself, ABS-CBN will come to some realizations, which hopefully will make it a better media entity, employer, and corporate citizen,” it said. (PNA)

 

[Leonz]

so yun nga guys pinasara yung abscbn kasi nga maraming mga issue

 

[Leonz]

hindi po si president duterte yung may kasalan sa pagsasara ng abscbn kasi ang
tunay na nagpasara ay si quiboloy char

 

[darsqwe]

[XX='H I H O, c: 72739, m: 516069'][/XX] may pruweba ka ba na binayaran ang 70 congress?
may kumanta nga isang congress na babayaran daw sana siya ng 200M para lang makuha ang OO niya sa boto ng prangkisa na yan ng Abias-Cbend ser.

 

[Fried Rice]

Biased reporting, meddling in politics

The committee has refrained from giving a finding on the alleged biased reporting of the network, alleged meddling in politics, as well as the content of its programs.

“The principles of press freedom, fair comment, and self-regulation of media militate against any attempt at such ruling,” it said.

However, it encouraged ABS-CBN to carefully examine itself and understand where all the “persistent complaints” about biased reporting, inappropriate program content, and political meddling are coming from.

“Perhaps, by listening to the complaints and assessing itself, ABS-CBN will come to some realizations, which hopefully will make it a better media entity, employer, and corporate citizen,” it said. (PNA)

good, basahin ko to mamaya, eto kasi yung talagang hanap
kahit copy paste, ok pa rin naman
di ko naman pinaglalaban sila, open ako na mag iba yung side ko
di ko lang matiis yung natutuwa yung iba sa downfall nung kapwa nila

akala ko ba sabi nung DOJ hindi foreigner si Gabby Lopez
yung BIR wala daw nilabag sa tax
tapos anong sangay pa yung nag sabi na wala silang nilabag dun.
confirm ko lang mamaya.

edit: pna pala galing source mo, hayyy, walang side about sa abs na nakalagay dun
alam mo naman na sangay ng government yung pna.

 

[darsqwe]

[XX='H I H O, c: 73237, m: 516069'][/XX] tinanong mo pa saan ang makatao dun?
do you think makatao ba ginawa ng Abias-Cbend sa mga empleyado nila na halos lahat hindi pa Regular Employee for ilang taon nag tratrabahu sa kanila?
tignan at dinggin mo mabuti ang mga testimonya ng Empleyado noon sa kompanya na yan ser at nasa ibang kompanya na ngayun.

 

[darsqwe]

[XX='H I H O, c: 73237, m: 516069'][/XX] wala akong paki na die hard fan ka sa kompanya na yan ser.
sa ngayun ninalabas na ang mga katotohanan.
ilan taon na nga binigyan ng tsansa para magbago pero hindi nila ginagawa kasi sobrang kampanti nila na yung manok nila ang mamanalo sa pagiging Presidente.
kaya Huli. Walang Renewal. Iyak.

yan na ang katotohanan ser. baka utak mo useless kasi di mo minulat hahaha

 

[darsqwe]

[XX='H I H O, c: 73210, m: 516069'][/XX]
care to Filipino citizen raw. pero ang Kompanya na yan hindi nag care sa mga Empleyado nila.

alam naman nila Bawal at may Violations hindi nila pinapansin kasi sa Pera.
madaming abogado dyan sa Kompanya na yan pero mas iniisip pa nila ang Kompanya kaysa sa mga Empleyado.
eh ngayun. Care for Filipino Citizen ba kamo?
edi tama yung hindi pag Renew ng Franchise sa Abias-Cbend.
yan ang Care for Filipino Citizen

 

[Chuckedoll]

iyakin yan ,don't talk me about law pang nalalaman, hahaist wag tayong magpa hipokrito please lang ahaha

 

[darsqwe]

[XX='H I H O, c: 73222, m: 516069'][/XX] di mo pala kabisado ang Batas. eh bakit kapa nag rereact nang ganyan?
mga professional na Lawyer na nga ang nag desisyon sa Hindi pag Renew ng Franchise.
ang batas na po ang Sagot sa lahat na yan ser.

Die Hard Fan kalang po sa Kompanya na yan. kahit nga yung may malalaking share sa kumpanya na yan Hindi na nga umangal sa desisyon ng Kongreso. ikaw pa kaya na walang ambag sa Kompanya kundi na nuod lang ng paburito mong artista ang jajakolin mo lang haha