MANILA, Philippines — With a total of 70 lawmakers voting to approve the resolution denying ABS-CBN’s franchise application, “thousands of breadwinners will lose their jobs, millions their source of entertainment and information,” says Senator Grace Poe.
With the technical working group–composed of Deputy Speaker Pablo John Garcia, Camiguin Rep. Xavier Jesus Romualdo, and Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, outlining the violations of the media giant, Poe, in a statement, said that ABS-CBN is far from a perfect organization, and has admitted to its many failing “but in its balance sheet of accomplishments, the good it had done for our people are valuable.”
Poe continued, saying that “the correct – and constitutional – response is to allow it to remedy them, the same chance extended to thousands of franchise applicants.”
The House has indeed set a high and unforgiving bar in approving franchises. This may affect current active franchises.
Senator Grace Poe
Sen. Grace Poe, together with her colleagues, have previously condemned the NTC cease and desist order on ABS-CBN as a “grave abuse of discretion.” Senator Grace Poe stressed, “Ngayon pa sila magpapasara kung kailan ang daming walang trabaho. At least ito, naaalagaan at di dapat sa gobyerno umasa.” (To shut down ABS-CBN when there are many without jobs. Here, the employees were cared for, and they did not only rely on government aid.)