Philippine lawmakers block license bid

for broadcaster that angered Duterte

Karen Lema and Neil Jerome Morales

Reuters18 hours ago




1 / 2
Philippine lawmakers block license bid for broadcaster that angered
Duterte
An ABS-CBN employee cries after the Philippine congress voted against the renewal of the broadcast
network's 25-year franchise, outside ABS-CBN headquarters, in Quezon City

By Karen Lema and Neil Jerome Morales

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine lawmakers rejected the renewal of a 25-year
license for country's top broadcaster on Friday, outraging activists who saw the
move to keep ABS-CBN Corp off the air as part of a political vendetta on behalf
of President Rodrigo Duterte.
A legislative committee overwhelmingly agreed with a working group's
assessment that ABS-CBN, which employs 11,000 people and has an audience
of tens of millions of Filipinos, was "undeserving of the grant of legislative
franchise".
Aides to Duterte, 75, sought to distance the president from the decision, as
activists have accused him of using courts, Congress and regulatory bodies to
systematically stamp out opposition to his popular autocracy.
Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director, called it "a black day
for media freedom" and "an astounding display of obsequious behaviour" by
lawmakers kowtowing to Duterte.
"This move solidifies the tyranny of President Rodrigo Duterte," he said.
It comes a week after the passing of a controversial anti-terror law that Duterte
fast-tracked through the legislature, granting his security chiefs powers to arrest
and detain without charge or judicial approval anyone they consider a "terrorist".
Critics fear it will be used as a weapon to target dissent, including journalists,
bloggers, lawyers and civil society groups seeking his international indictment for
thousands of killings in his war on drugs.
DUTERTE 'NEUTRAL'
ABS-CBN has been on tenterhooks since Duterte took office in 2016 and started
threatening to block its renewal bid, in furious public outbursts stemming from
the network's failure to air some of his paid election campaign commercials. It
has since apologised.
Under Duterte, the market value of ABS-CBN has slumped 69% to $257 million.
His spokesman, Harry Roque, said the president had always had "a neutral
stance" on the franchise issue.
It was not immediately clear what the next steps would be for ABS-CBN, which
continues to operate online, on cable and on social media, which are not
impacted.
"This is a painful and sad day," said Regina Reyes, head of its news and current
affairs.
"You feel your entire life's work was disregarded," she said, fighting back tears.
ABS-CBN's 21 radio and 38 television stations are a staple of news and
entertainment across the Philippines and to the Filipino Diaspora, generating big
advertising revenues from brands keen to tap mass audiences drawn to its talent
shows, dramas and glamorous celebrities.
A caravan of cars carrying ABS-CBN employees and stars holding placards
defending the network and media freedom circled the house. Its franchise loss
was a top-trending issue on social media, with models and actors weighing in
with support.
The decision follows a high-profile guilty verdict in a recent libel case against
Maria Ressa, chief of news website Rappler, whose investigative reporting has
frustrated the inner circle of Duterte, a maverick former mayor.
Rappler is fighting several other legal cases filed by the state.