Opposition senators on Wednesday urged the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to reconsider the cease and desist order against ABS-CBN’s broadcast on TV Plus and Sky Direct as they expressed dismay over the agency’s decision to stop its operations.
“Nakakabahala. Sa panahon ng pandemiya, nililimitahan pa natin lalo ang access ng publiko sa mga mahahalagang impormasyon. Mas dinadagdagan din lalo natin ang mga Pilipinong mawawalan ng trabaho (This is worrisome. They chose to limit the public’s access to important information in the midst of a pandemic. This will also lead to more Filipinos going jobless),” Senator Risa Hontiveros said.
Due to the pandemic, Hontiveros said it is imperative that the state uphold press freedom and ensure the people’s access to information.
“Because we are in a crisis and because access to information is crucial, NTC should reconsider the said cease-and-desist order. This was the appeal in the resolution I filed last May that was adopted by the Senate,” she said.
“Especially because of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we need to uphold freedom of the press, secure the rights and welfare of workers, and improve the public’s access to life-saving information,” she stressed.
Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said he hopes the Supreme Court will “step on the brakes on this madness.”
Pangilinan said he wonders why the government is putting pressure on a media network when it has not even been effective in resolving the COVID-19 crisis and has not yet even done much in providing assistance to those who lost their jobs and are going hungry because of the pandemic.
“Ang mga ganid sa kapangyarihan, walang hangganan liban nalang kung tutulan at pigilan ng ating mga korte o di kaya ng taumbayan sa pamamagitan ng mariing pagtutol at pagkondena (those who are greedy for power don't stop unless the courts will step in to stop them or maybe the people will through protest actions condemning this act),” Pangilinan said.
“Huwag matakot magsalita at punahin ang pagmamalabis at palpak na pamumuno na nagaganap sa ating bansa (They shouldn’t be afraid to speak up and point out the abuses and failure of leadership happening in the country),” he said.