I AM not a fan of ABS-CBN. It got to a point a few years ago that I did other things when my wife watched ABS-CBN shows. I felt that its aggressiveness to compete with GMA network was tainted with arrogance. And I hate arrogance. In Cebu I am obviously in the minority because ABS-CBN has a large following here.
But I hate abuse of power even more. That was precisely the reason I joined the anti-Marcos movement when I was younger. I sacrificed a big chunk of my life and my career for a struggle that still has to fully compensate me. I mean not on monetary terms but on substantial societal change for the better. We seem to be merely going in circles, though.
Refusing to grant a franchise to ABS-CBN just because it refused to air a campaign ad during the presidential elections is clearly abuse of power. So too is the threat of closure so it won’t stand independently as a media entity. More so the use of questionable claims in the effort. For me, press freedom transcends all else.
I am not saying media entities and media personalities should not be touched. But the reasons to go after them should be legitimate and not meant to dictate or advance a political agenda. This can be true not only with media but with other business entities as well. In a way, this is why human rights are universal. Everybody should enjoy their protection.
The worst part here is when even fellow media people, for political expediency, betray their own kind. How many of us are willing to sacrifice thousands of ABS-CBN employees who are even now having sleepless nights because of the fear of losing their means of livelihood? Can’t one just express their support of President Duterte and not be a fanatic to the point of acting like Judas to his colleagues?
Look at where the fanaticism of die-hard Duterte supporters within ABS-CBN is bringing them. If the government closes ABS-CBN, these fanatics will also be among those who will lose their jobs. That is why there is no substitute for a rules-based government--one that is based on patronage and fanaticism is always bad for the people.
Still, I doubt if all these will lead to ABS-CBN’s closure. In a way, this shakedown seems to be like what the government did to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. This is meant to effect change in coverage and even ownership. This is an assault that is milder than what the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos did against the network during martial law.
And time seems to be on the side of ABS-CBN. The Duterte government is entering its lameduck phase and the so-called Duterte supermajority will be no more. We already saw what happened when the Marcos dictatorship fell. The persecuted, like the Lopezes of old, eventually got their comeuppance. And the phase that Cebuanos call “adlaw sa panudya” did come.
I am old enough to know that political power is fleeting and justice is real. How many leaders who are abusers of power have fallen by the wayside throughout history?