Iloilo universities speak up on ABS-CBN shutdown

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

The University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) and the West Visayas State University (WVSU) shared their collective thoughts on the shutdown of broadcast giant ABS-CBN.

ABS-CBN’s legislative franchise expired on May 4, prompting the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to issue a Cease-and-Desist Order (CDO) against the network on May 5.

The Lopez-led network’s free-to-air television channels, together with its radio stations DZMM and MOR, ceased their operations nationwide on the same day.

The network, however, continued its operations online, with TV Patrol being broadcast through online live-streaming and the repurposed television only TeleRadyo channel since May 7.

The network also filed a petition with the Supreme Court on May 7, arguing that the NTC committed grave abuse of discretion in issuing the CDO, as it had previously allowed other stations with pending Congressional franchise renewals to continue operations.

The network also assailed the NTC for not giving them a chance to be heard.

According to a press release by the SC Public Information Office on May 8, the petition will be raffled to an SC Justice today.

 

UP VISAYAS

The UPV College of Arts and Sciences CAS Student Council (CAS SC) released a statement through social media on May 5, emphasizing the timeliness of ABS-CBN’s closure.

The CAS SC said that the closure, which rendered the network’s employees jobless, will add to the country’s current woes amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

It also emphasized the closeness of the shutdown to Labor Day on May 1 and World Press Freedom Day on May 3, calling it a “great betrayal of the state to its citizens”.

“With the closure of the media giant, numerous people will be jobless adding to the burden brought upon by the current crisis we are facing now, the COVID19. Furthermore, millions of its audience who rely on the news they are tirelessly delivering to the people will be limited. A lot of manifestations proved that the government was not able to single-handedly address the matters concerning the pandemic. The role of the media and other private entities were vital for our current fight with this crisis. With the recent celebration of the World Press Freedom Day and the commemoration of Labor Day, this is a great betrayal of the state to its citizens whose welfare they should prioritize,” the statement said.

The UPV-CAS’ Division of Humanities released a solidarity statement through its official Facebook page on May 6, saying that the closure “marks a very dark moment in the history of Philippine broadcasting.”

The division also expressed its solidarity with the network and its employees, particularly its alumni, who had been both former and current employees.

“The Division of Humanities expresses its solidarity with the rest of ABS-CBN’s more than 11,000 employees who are directly affected by this order, including our alumni who used to work and are currently working with the network. This is not the battle of one media network alone, this is our collective battle against this tyrannical government,” it said.

It also stressed the need for a free and independent press and the need for entertainment during the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our country needs a free and independent press, as it plays a very important role in informing our citizens about public affairs and providing censorship for private and government action alike. More importantly, the loss of a major news and media outlet like ABS-CBN deprives many Filipinos of a source for key information about health and statistics that could prove invaluable during this pandemic. Now is not the time for politicking to take its helm. Now is not the time for critical voices to be muffled. Now is the time for everyone to be involved,” it said.

 

WVSU

The WVSU College of Communication (COC) released its statement on May 8, through personal Facebook accounts of its faculty members.

While the COC’s statement echoed the need for press freedom during the pandemic, it took a step back as to the constitutional and legal issues surrounding ABS-CBN’s shutdown.

“In the midst of a crisis when news and information are needed the most, the College of Communication laments the ABS-CBN shutdown. This crushing blow to a free and independent media, along with the challenges of a lockdown aggravates the already crippling situation the country is in. As constitutional and legal issues are at the heart of this controversy and the domain of legal experts, we can only hope and pray that the law will run its course for the benefit of the Filipino people who rely on the largest broadcasting network in the country for information,” its statement said.

The COC Student Council, however, slightly diverged from their college’s statement and issued a stronger statement, detailing the history of the network’s franchise renewal in the House of Representatives.

The council in its statement said that the network’s shutdown is a clear attack on the fourth estate.

“At a time when every Filipino struggles against the COVID-19 pandemic, we need all sources of information more than ever. By curtailing the freedom of the press, the Filipino’s right is being threatened. Moreover, we sympathize with the 11,071 employees of ABS-CBN who lost their jobs amidst the crisis, as well as to the millions of Filipinos who rely mostly on ABS-CBN as their network provider. We believe that the ABS-CBN shutdown will not bring any good in the nation’s fight against COVID-19, but rather, aggravate the crisis further. Above and beyond, we believe that this is a clear attack to the press; an attack to the fourth estate—the very foundation of truth, freedom, and democracy,” it said.