- The petition for 1M Signatures was launched by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)
- ABS-CBN’s franchise is set to expire in March 2020
Kapamilya journalists Bernadette Sembrano, Jacque Manabat, and Inday Varona showed their support for the Petition of 1M Signatures for ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal through social media.
The signature campaign was launched by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) aimed at calling Congress to renew ABS-CBN’s franchise.
In their Black Friday protest held January 17 at the Boy Scout Monument in Quezon City, NUJP said, “We call on Congress to do what is right and immediately pass the bill to renew ABS-CBN’s franchise.”
ABS-CBN’s franchise is set to expire in March 2020. Without its renewal, the jobs of its more than ten thousand employees are at stake.
Manabat and Sembrano supported the campaign by sharing it on their Twitter account and urging their followers to sign the petition.
— Jacque Manabat (@jacquemanabat) January 18, 2020
ABS-CBN: One million for ABS-CBN's franchise – Sign the Petition! https://t.co/CNPaRYLom5 via @ChangePilipinas
— Bernadette Sembrano (@Bernadette_ABS) January 19, 2020
Meanwhile, Varona believed that “the best way to protect, improve democracy is to support a free press.”
She also regarded ABS-CBN as the “perfect” institution which “has covered the most important issues over the decades.”
The best way to protect, improve democracy is to support a free press. No media institution is perfect but @ABSCBNNews has covered the most important issues over the decades and won awards. Here, too, let us #HoldTheLine. Please sign and share https://t.co/298LRLk2J4
— inday espina varona (@indayevarona) January 19, 2020
As of this writing, the campaign has amassed over 120,000 signatures supporting ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal.
Amidst the overwhelming support coming from the network’s stalwart fans, many netizens also expressed their opposition to ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal.
Along with Sembrano, Manabat, and Varona’s posts, netizens voiced out their reasons for favoring ABS-CBN’s shutdown.
Give me a good reason why Lopez should still be the oligarch behind the company. What do u owe him?
— darkhalcyon101 (@darkhalcyon101) January 20, 2020
Ms B will you call out the Lopezes for not paying their taxes? For not treating their employees right? Hmmm, I guess you cannot bite the hands that feed you?
— LovesyDMomsie (@LovesyDMomsie) January 19, 2020
https://twitter.com/130564Rock/status/1219093256941662208?s=19
Don't ever make any comments without mentioning and explaining why ABSCBN is not paying 1.6 billion to DBP. Not everyone can be fooled….#IsaraAngABSCBN #YesToABSCBNShutdown
— Jefferson Maquiling (@kuyajefftv) January 19, 2020
Aside from NUJP, other media organizations also support ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal like AlterMidya, College Editors Guild of the Philippines, National Alliance of Broadcast Union, and the House of Representatives’ Makabayan bloc. There are also 9 bills currently filed in Congress asking to renew ABS-CBN’s franchise.
