The Malacañang Press Corps (MPC), the group of reporters covering the President, issued a strongly worded statement condemning the National Telecommunications Commission’s (NTC) order to close broadcasting giant ABS-CBN describing it as a “shameless and blatant attack on press freedom”.
The MPC released the statement a day after ABS-CBN went off the air Tuesday evening to comply with the NTC’s cease and desist order due to the network’s franchise expiring on the same day.
“The Malacañang Press Corps strongly condemns the NTC’s cease-and-desist order that shut down broadcast company ABS-CBN as a shameless and blatant attack on press freedom,” the statement read.
The Palace reporters said the events leading up to ABS-CBN’s closure showed “an orchestrated attack” against the network and thus an attack against press freedom by agents of the government “who are only too willing to please their master.”
“They have done it before. They are doing it again,” the MPC said.
The MPC noted how the NTC’s decision came after Solicitor General Jose Calida threatened to sue NTC officials if they grant a provisional authority to ABS-CBN “despite an earlier commitment by NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba to the House Committee on Legislative Franchises that the NTC would grant provisional authority to the broadcast company.”
The reporters also reminded the public that it was Calida who filed a quo warranto petition before the Supreme Court against ABS-CBN filed in February 2020 after several statements from President Duterte that he would block the franchise renewal of the network.
“We demand that the NTC honor its commitment to Congress to issue a provisional authority to ABS-CBN and to leave the issue of the franchise renewal to Congress,” the statement continued.
“We stand in solidarity with ABS-CBN and its more than 11,000 workers, whose livelihoods are now at risk because of the NTC’s unreasonable and imprudent action. We call on our colleagues in the media profession to unite in the face of this attack. We know this for what it is. Whether done in the dark days of Martial Law or under the broad sunlight of a supposed democracy, attacks against press freedom will only succeed when we are divided.”
The MPC’s full statement is posted below. (Rommel F. Lopez)
