STIFLING PRESS FREEDOM

To me, ABS CBN was tricked by Duterte and the company. As we can all remember, Duterte wanted the said TV giant network to be closed as can be gleaned from his past rants against the said media outfit. The lower house has the sole power to hear the renewal and application of franchises of television and radio networks for operation, and the House of Representatives did not act on the application for the renewal of the franchise of ABS CBN to operate. Is it not that Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and the majority of the congressmen are allies of Duterte? It is clear that Cayetano and the majority of the House members connived with the president in closing the ABS CBN by not acting on the same's application for renewal of its franchise.

The National Telecommunications Commission has promised the public and ABS CBN that it will issue a temporary permit to operate after May 4, the expiry date of its franchise but did not honor such a promise on the ground that the franchise of the ABS-CBN was already prescribed. Basing on the developments of the ABS-CBN's case the Office of the President, the House of Representatives have connived with each other so that the ABS-CBN, one of the greatest bulwarks of Philippine democracy be closed and cannot counter check the evils of the Duterte administration any longer

As can be seen from the developments of the ABS-CBN's closure, such closure was well planned by Duterte and his cohorts, as a matter of fact, the Solicitor General has also filed its Quo Warranto case before the Supreme Court against the ABS-CBN for having allegedly violated its franchise which was issued to the same twenty-five (25) years ago, which are still not being proven. Now you can already see the plan? Duterte has actually planned A,B,C so that ABS-CBN be closed and be thrown to the limbo of oblivion for being critical against his evil national leadership.

The curtailment of the ABS-CBN's rights to broadcast and air its programs are a violation of the constitutional right of the said network to freedom of the press and of expression. The cutting short of its corporate life has cut short the right of the people to be informed and d the right to know the truth.