Kapamilya reporter Jervis Manahan could not help but share an ironic experience where a lawmaker who voted to reject ABS-CBN’s franchise suddenly asked for a favor after he lost his chairmanship post.
In a tweet, Manahan disclosed a lawmaker’s PR guy who contacted him asking for a favor to air his statement after losing his House Committee chairmanship.
Several congressmen allied with Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco were stripped of their committee chairmanship as part of the speakership row between Velasco and current Speaker Alan PeterCayetano.
“A lawmaker I covered last January, who eventually voted against the ABS-CBN franchise, apparently lost his committee chairmanship at the lower house. This afternoon, the lawmaker’s PR guy is asking if the congressman can air his statement on ABSCBN news platforms.”
https://twitter.com/JervisManahan/status/1313807728033239041
Meanwhile, Manahan was not the first ABS-CBN reporter who encountered the same experience.
In August, another Kapamilya reporter Miguel Dumaual also shared a similar instance where a lawmaker who voted to reject ABS-CBN’s franchise requested news coverage of his event because of ABS-CBN’s obvious wide reach.
However, in his tweet, Dumaual blasted these politicians while reminding them that they cannot benefit from ABS-CBN widest reach online after they supported the denial of the ABS-CBN franchise.
Isang dambuhalang middle finger sa mga kongresistang nag-re-request ngayon ng coverage sa papogi nila matapos di suportahan ang prangkisa ng ABS-CBN. We have the widest reach online, and you think we’ll gladly give you that platform after you threw our network into crisis? pic.twitter.com/8U79inDcKn
— Miguel Dumaual (@migueldumaual) August 22, 2020
Veteran ABS-CBN journalist and ABS-CBN Digital Head Lynda Jumilla in July also disclosed a similar Incident.
https://twitter.com/lyndajumilla/status/1286210040957812736
On July 10, 70 Congressmen sealed the fate of the ABS-CBN franchise when they voted to reject their application orchestrated by the House leadership led by Cayetano.
However, ABS-CBN found a new home in their digital platforms where they are currently lording over. While the 70 congressmen thought that the vote would be the end of ABS-CBN, they’ve made it stronger in different media platforms. Apart from their Kapamilya Online Live Facebook and YouTube channels, ABS-CBN can also be seen via Kapamilya Channel over cable and satellite TV.
And the latest development, ABS-CBN shows will be back on free TV via their blocktime deal with ZOE TV giving birth to A2Z Channel 11.
That may be the reason unashamed congressmen who voted against ABS-CBN’s franchise continue to reach out to the network for publicity and new coverage because they know how powerful ABS-CBN’s reach is.
