The National Alliance of Broadcast Union (NABU) and Kapamilya Partylist on Thursday, May 5, expressed their support to incumbent Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte’s re-election bid in the upcoming May 9 elections.
“Ang NABU ay susuporta lamang sa mga magtataguyod sa press freedom. Ang NABU ay susuporta lamang sa subok na sa laban at may puso upang pakinggan at bigyan ng puwang ang mga manggagawa (NABU will only support those who advocate for press freedom. NABU will only support those who have been tried and have the heart to listen to give space to the workers,” the NABU said in a statement on Thursday.
Both the NABU and the Kapamilya Partylist declared their support to Belmonte on the second anniversary of the ABS-CBN shutdown. The networks’s franchse renewal was rejected on May 5, 2019.
They said that the current mayor actively showed support to the network’s franchise renewal.
“Dahil dito, buo ang suporta ng NABU kay Mayor Joy Belmonte para sa kanyang re-election bilang mayor ng Quezon City (Because of this, NABU fully supports Mayor Joy Belmonte's re-election as mayor of Quezon City),” the NABU said.
The groups also denounced the 70 congressmen who they said were behind the “killing” of the network’s franchise, particularly Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor, who is Belmonte’s rival for the city mayor’s post.
The NABU, which is an umbrella organization of all broadcast worker’s unions including ABS-CBN, GMA and others, said that it will never support “franchise killers” of any media outlets.
“Walang puwang sa isang demokratikong bansa ang mga franchise killers. Zero votes para sa mga franchise killers (There is no space in a democratic countryfor franchise killers. Zero votes for the franchise killers),” it said.
For it’s part, the Kapamilya Partylist said that thousand of people lost their job because of ABS-CBN’s shutdown, and their support to Belmonte is due of her firm stand for press freedom and freedom of speech.
Belmonte thanked the groups for their endorsement of her candidacy.
“Nangangako ako na ipagpapatuloy ko ang pagtataguyod karapatan at kapakanan ng mga mangagawa dito sa ating lungsod (I promise to continue to promote the rights and welfare of the workers here in our city),” the mayor said.
Kapamilya Partylist is a sectoral partylist composed of formal and informal workers, including media practicioners.