- NUJP asked support for ABS-CBN.
- NUJP calls for the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise.
The National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP) has called on the public to support ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal.
The Filipino journalist group has urged the public to support press freedom by supporting ABS-CBN after President Rodrigo Duterte renewed his threat to block its franchise renewal.
“We call on the community of independent Filipino journalists and on citizens who cherish democracy to band together and protect the free arena of ideas that the closure or forced sale of ABS-CBN would severely weaken,” NUJP said in a statement.
“His statement leaves the network owners, the Lopez family, with a stark choice: sell or lose everything. But sell it to whom and for whose benefit?” NUJP added.
Last December 30, 2019, in a speech in North Cotabato, the President again lashed out against ABS-CBN even adding unsolicited advice to just sell the network because he will block its renewal.
“Itong ABS, mag-expire ang contract ninyo. Mag-renew kayo, ewan ko lang kung may mangyari diyan. Kung ako sa inyo ipagbili niyo na ‘yan,” Duterte said.
The President’s latest statement against the network came on the heels of the recent announcement about Duterte’s friend Dennis Uy’s venture into media and entertainment via Udenna Communications Media and Entertainment Holdings Corp.
ABS-CBN’s franchise to operate is in danger of non-renewal. The media company’s franchise is set to expire in March 2020 and there are currently nine bills for its renewal filed in Congress which have yet to be acted upon by the House Committee on Legislative Franchises.
The Senate on the other hand shared optimism for a favorable outcome saying it’s still possible to get the franchise renewal in the remaining three months.
Duterte has been lambasting ABS-CBN in numerous occasionsm accusing the network of not airing his political campaign ads in 2016.
