Rights groups: Congress' refusal for ABS-CBN franchise signal darker days ahead
MANILA, Philippines — The Congress’ move to deny ABS-CBN of a fresh franchise to operate marks a dark day in the Philippines’ democracy, and this may just be the start of even darker days that lay ahead for the country, rights group said.
On Friday, 70 lawmakers dashed the hopes of the embattled media network to be given a fresh 25-year franchise and return on air, and the Human Rights Watch slammed this as a “grievous assault on press freedom in the country.”
“Not since the dictator Ferdinand Marcos shut down ABS-CBN and other media outlets in 1972 has a single government act caused so much damage to media freedom,” Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia Director Phil Robertson said in a statement.
READ: Filipino journalists up in arms over Congress’ killing of ABS-CBN franchise bid
Robertson added: “This move solidifies the tyranny of President Rodrigo Duterte who accused ABS-CBN of slights against him and politically targeted it for refusing to toe the government’s line and criticizing his so-called ‘war on drugs.’”
ABS-CBN shut its 42 television stations across the country, including flagship and free channel 2 and regional channels, 10 digital broadcast channels, 18 FM stations and five AM stations on May 5—the second time in history it went off air.
The first was when the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. placed the country under Martial Law in September 1972.
The media network fought for the grant of a new franchise at the House of Representatives where lawmakers spent 12 hearings discussing allegations thrown against it—issues that, 14 lawmakers who sponsored for bills for the network said, have been addressed and answered by the media company.
Rights group Karapatan said that the Congress’ refusal to grant ABS-CBN’s bid for franchise may just be a sign of “darker days to come,” with the looming implementation of Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
“No matter how this regime tries to maintain the illusion of rule of law and democracy in the Philippines, the railroaded passage of the Anti-Terrorism Act as well as the denial of ABS-CBN's franchise renewal despite massive public opposition show us one thing: we are under a de facto martial law, and we are spiraling further and further into it,” it said.
READ: Killing ABS-CBN franchise bid signals weakening of democracy, deprives thousands of work — Drilon
Kapatid, a support group for families and friends of political prisoners, said that the lawmakers’ vote “reveals how this government is hellbent on silencing those who take to heart the essence of standing up for the Filipino, especially those in the margins, and in the process speak truth to power.”
Kapatid called on the Filipino people: “With the growing threats and violations against our constitutionally protected rights, all of us, Filipinos, are violated and we should stand united in resisting the attacks of a tyrannical government.”
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