Final Hour
After more than 70 years of service in providing the nation with entertainment and news, it was on Friday that the Philippine Congress officially shut down the leading broadcast network of the country. A committee of the House of Representatives voted with an overwhelming split of 70–11, thereby ending ABS-CBN’s operations after a total of 13 hearings. A broadcasting giant had just been put to rest, and this profuse majority against the renewal of its franchise had the ultimate say.
The formal closing of the broadcasting network is the latest hit against the media whilst President Rodrigo Duterte comes down heavily on outlets critical to his administration. This is proven true by the fact that most of the members of the committee responsible for the decision made are allied with Duterte himself. With this taken into consideration, was there ever really a chance for the franchise to be renewed in the first place?
However, the president’s spokesman, Harry Roque, saw to it that Duterte was distanced from the decision. “The Palace has maintained a neutral stance on the issue as it respects the separation of powers between the two coequal branches of the government,” Roque claimed. “Much as we wan to work with the aforementioned network, we have to abide by the resolution of the House committee.”
Duterte has accused ABS-CBN of bias. This came in the form of the network favoring a political adversary during the 2016 election, which earned an earlier warning stating that the president would see to it himself that the renewal of its franchise shall not come to pass.
Accused of illegally operating a cable channel and hiding behind a “corporate veil” to allow foreign investors to own part of the company, ABS-CBN has denied such allegations. 14 lawmakers who sponsored measures that backed the network argued that the hearings had not proven that ABS-CBN actually violated any of the regulations that called for its closure. It seems that this issue holds with it a completely different side.
Right after the network went off the air, a backlash from millions of Filipinos took to the media. While some asserted ABS-CBN as a prime courier of news, others saw its closure as a hint of despotism by the government. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, also gave his view on the issue, stating it “solidifies the tyranny of President Rodrigo Duterte.” It could be one or the other, and whichever it is, there is nothing anybody could do about it now.
Being the number one broadcasting network in the Philippines, ABS-CBN was renowned for putting forth important information to the Filipino nation. Now that the country is short one limp in terms of news delivery, a void has been made, made especially concerning during this pandemic. In spite of this, people still hold hope that this network will once again rise in the face of adversity. Although ABS-CBN may have already packed its bags, will this really be the final nail in the coffin?
About the Author
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Joaquin Jerecho R. Ferolino is an incoming Grade 10Student of PSHS-CRC. He is the Managing Editor of the The Thirteenth Scholars.
He has been recognized nationally and continues to participate in Journalism related competitions.
