Kapamilya artist and singer Nikki Valdez reacted to ACT-CIS Partylist Rep. Niña Taduran regretting the thousands of jobs lost as a result of ABS-CBN’s shutdown.
The media giant went off-air on May 5, 2020 after the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) ordered it to stop television and radio operations.
On July 10, 2020, the House Committee rejected the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN. As a result, the network was forced to cease the operations of some of its businesses and lay off its workers effective on August 31, 2020.
Nikki and her husband Luis Garcia were among those Kapamilya artists and employees who lost their jobs earlier due to ABS-CBN’s denied franchise renewal.
Sharing a tweet from RG Cruz, Valdez wrote on Twitter: “The damage has been done. Nasa huli ba pagsisisi niyo? Natraffic ang conscience? Or both?”
The damage has been done. Nasa huli ba pagsisisi niyo? Natraffic ang conscience? Or both? https://t.co/VtvZaVPLEY
— NVG 🌸💚 (@nikkivaldez_) August 28, 2020
Valdez also aired her concern for the retrenchment of ABS-CBN employees.
She said in another post, “Lapit na August 31.The most dreaded day for ABSCBN’s employees.. It just gets harder each day na papalapit.”
Lapit na August 31.. The most dreaded day for ABSCBN’s employees.. It just gets harder each day na papalapit. 💔💚💙
— NVG 🌸💚 (@nikkivaldez_) August 28, 2020
“Mga Kapamilya, maraming salamat sa lahat. Mahigpit na mahigpit na yakap” she wrote.
Mga Kapamilya, maraming salamat sa lahat. Mahigpit na mahigpit na yakap. 💔💚💙#KapamilyaFOREVER
— NVG 🌸💚 (@nikkivaldez_) August 28, 2020
Valdez, who is a Star Magic artist, appeared in numerous Kapamilya movies and shows including A Soldier’s Heart, Sana Dalawa ang Puso, La Luna Sangre, FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, and others.
Taduran earlier stated her sympathy for the thousands of ABS-CBN employees who are facing a dire situation amid a pandemic.
“Even in the beginning, I had been quite vocal about my ‘No to shutdown’ stand. Hypothetically, kung nakaboto ang plenary we could have outnumbered those who denied the network’s franchise renewal.”
“May bukas pa”, she said consoling her friends from ABS-CBN.
Taduran has a pending bill in Congress which she herself authored for the benefit of the media workers.Her proposed bill called Media Workers’ Welfare nears final approval at the House of Representatives’ Committee on Labor and Employment.This explains why Taduran empathizes with more than 11,000 employees of ABS-CBN.
Before entering politics,Taduran was a former regular employee of DWIZ in 1991 working as a clerk until she became a news anchor.She also became a co-anchor of Raffy Tulfo on DZXL in 1997.