HOUSE COMMITTEE DENIES ABS-CBN A NEW FRANCHISE

MANILA -- Congressmen on Friday voted to "kill" a new broadcast franchise

for ABS-CBN Corp., permanently shutting down a major part of the countryÂ’s

largest media network, in what is seen as part of a worsening crackdown on

press freedom under President Rodrigo Duterte.

Voting 70 to 11, the Committee on Legislative Franchises dashed ABS-CBN's

hopes to resume operations under a new franchise, months after the president

repeatedly threatened to pull the plug on the network over complaints of

partisanship in the 2016 presidential elections.

Two congressmen inhibited and one abstained.

The committee voted to "deny the application of ABS-CBN Corporation for a

franchise to construct, install, establish, operate and maintain radio and

broadcasting stations in the Philippines."

"By no means can this franchise application be related to press freedom,"

according to the findings of a technical working group that prepared the

resolution against ABS-CBN.

"It is what it is--a denial of a privilege granted by the State because the

applicant was seen as undeserving of the grant of a legislative franchise."

Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, who represented the minority in the 3-member

drafting committee, dissented on the resolution denying ABS-CBN's franchise

application.

The committee decision meant that ABS-CBN's franchise application was now

"killed" although the bills were referred to as "laid on the table"

following the rules, said Anakalusugan Rep. Michael Defensor, who was among

at least 4 congressmen who led the charge against the network during the

hearings.

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano appealed for understanding on "why the decision

had to be so."

"This has by no means been an easy process for anyone involved in these

proceedings, and I can assure our kababayans (countrymen) that the final

resolution was not arrived at by the committee without serious consideration

as to the overall impact it will have on the nation," he said in a

statement.

Echoing Duterte's issues against ABS-CBN, Cayetano was also a vocal critic

of the network, often citing new reports and interviews he deemed

unfavorable to him.

The vote puts in jeopardy the jobs of more than 11,000 workers under the

ABS-CBN group, particularly its broadcast business whose programs enjoyed a

massive reach of more than 80 million Filipinos here and abroad.

LAGMAN: ABS-CBN'S SLAIN FRANCHISE BID PARTISAN VICTORY; 'CONSCIENCE VOTE'

ALL PRETEND

MANILA - The House panel's decision to deny ABS-CBN's fresh broadcast

license bid was a partisan victory and an abuse of superiority by the

administration-dominated chamber, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said Friday.

Lagman, who authored one of the bills giving ABS-CBN a new franchise, said

the decision that killed the network's franchise bid on Friday was a

"forgone conclusion," describing the role of a technical working group in

the decision as "part of the charade."

Members of the House franchise committee, after 12 lengthy joint hearings

with the committee on good government, on Friday voted 70-11 to deny

ABS-CBN's fresh franchise application, shuttering the network's broadcast

business.

"The protracted hearings conducted by the Committees on Legislative

Franchises and Good Government followed a foregone conclusion, and despite

ABS-CBN surviving the grueling legislative inquisition, it was slain at the

end of the show with premeditation and abuse of superiority in numbers as

aggravating circumstances," said Lagman.

"The plight of the embattled network is mercifully over except for the herd

voting where the dictates of partisanship would prevail over the demands of

merit.

He noted the TWG's speedy release of the eventually adopted recommendation

to deny the franchise application, saying the "inordinate alacrity is

suspect" as the document came out less than 24 hours after hearings wrapped

up.

Lagman cited how the hearings had lasted over 100 hours in all, and how the

TWG was supposed to have pored through "voluminous documents and records."

He also called out House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano for remarks that

countered his own call for a "conscience vote" on the franchise bid.

"The pretense of the Speaker for a “conscience vote” was unmasked by his own

closing statement at the end of the hearings which was a virtual final

summation for the “antis” rooting for the denial of ABS-CBN’s franchise

renewal," Lagman said.

ROBREDO: DENIAL OF ABS-CBN FRANCHISE HAS 'CHILLING EFFECT,' SHOWS HOW RULING

MAJORITY TAGS 'ENEMIES'

MANILA - A House panel's denial of ABS-CBN's bid for a new broadcast

franchise has a chilling effect that might influence media reporting, Vice

President Leni Robredo said Friday, as she reminded the public to choose

leaders who uphold their ideals and beliefs.

"Malawak ang implikasyon ng desisyong ito. Mayroon itong chilling effect:

Hindi kalabisang isipin na maaaring magbabago ang editorial choices ng ibang

pahayagan gawa ng panggigipit na ginawa sa ABS-CBN," Robredo said.

In a statement, Robredo, the leader of the opposition, said government had

been expected to respect freedom of the press, but that it seemed the

reverse was happening, with the recent conviction of news website Rappler

CEO Maria Ressa, the signing of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, and the

ABS-CBN shutdown.

"Ang mensahe: Kapag hindi tayo sumang-ayon nang buong-buo sa kanila, kalaban

nila tayong ituturing," Robredo said.

"Inaalisan nito ng kabuhayan ang libu-libong nasa empleyo ng network, bukod

pa ang mga contractual, at ang iba pang mga industriyang nakasalalay sa mga

proyekto ng network. Inaampat nito ang daloy ng wasto at napapanahong

impormasyon.

She lamented Congress' direction at a time when the country continues to be

gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic, when information is crucial.

The killing of ABS-CBN's franchise highlights a lesson, said Robredo: "Our

choice of leaders matters."

"Mahalagang pumili ng mga pinunong tunay sa sumasalamin sa ating mga

adhikain at prinsipyo. KayaÂ’t tandaan natin ang mga pangalan ng kongresista

at opisyal na tumaliwas sa ating mga paniniwala upang mapanagot sila gamit

ang mga prosesong pangdemokrasya; tandaan din natin ang mga kahanay natin,

upang maisulong at bigyang-lakas pa ang mga tulad nila," she said.

She also called on the people to keep the faith, unite and resist.

"Bawat pahayag, bawat pagkilos ngayon ay may ambag sa mahabang proseso upang

maabot ang lipunang tunay na malaya at makatao," she said.

ABS-CBN FRANCHISE DEATH PART OF ADMIN'S 'KILL, KILL, KILL' LEGACY: MEDIA

WATCHDOG TRUSTEE

MANILA — The death of ABS-CBN Corp's franchise application in the House of

Representatives is in keeping with the alleged "kill, kill, kill" legacy of

President Rodrigo Duterte's administration, a media watchdog trustee said

Friday, as he warned of an "even more worrisome sense of impunity" in the

country.

"'Pag tiningnan mo, iyong kill is very much in keeping with the theme of

this regime di ba? Patay, patay, patay," said Center for Media Freedom and

Responsibility trustee Vergel Santos.

"This pre-stages an even more worrisome sense of impunity sa ating

institusyon. Puwede palang gawin ito. Ang chill talaga is going across, not

only the media — sa tao," he told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

"I'm sorry. You're out. I will see to it that you're out," Duterte said in

December.

The denial of ABS-CBN's franchise was "a sole prerogative of Congress that

we in the Executive recognize," said Duterte's spokesman Harry Roque.

PALACE CLAIMS NEUTRALITY AS CONGRESS FULFILLS DUTERTE THREAT AGAINST ABS-CBN

FRANCHISE

MANILA -- Malacañang said Friday it has maintained a "neutral" stance on the

franchise application of ABS-CBN after lawmakers denied to grant the media

giant a fresh 25-year license to operate in what is seen as a fulfillment of

President Rodrigo Duterte's earlier promise.

Voting 70 to 11, the House of Representatives Committee on Legislative

Franchises voted Friday to reject a new broadcast franchise for ABS-CBN Corp

which has ceased broadcast operations for more than 2 months.

Congress, which is dominated by the President's allies, has the "sole

prerogative" on the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN, Presidential Spokesperson

Harry Roque said.

"The Palace has maintained a neutral stance on the issue as it respects the

separation of powers between the two co-equal branches government," Roque

said in a statement.

"Much as we want to work with the aforesaid media network, we have to abide

by the resolution of the House committee," he added.

ABS-CBN EXECUTIVES THANK EMPLOYEES AND SUPPORTERS

ABS-CBN executives--Chief Operating Officer for Broadcast Cory Vidanes,

Chairman Mark Lopez, and President and CEO Carlo L. Katigbak--express

appreciation to ABS-CBN employees and supporters during a candle-lighting

event in solidarity with the embattled network.

‘DEEPLY HURT’ ABS-CBN TO CONTINUE PUBLIC SERVICE

ABS-CBN Corp. vowed to find ways to continue its mission of “being in the

service of the Filipino,” after the House committee on legislative

franchises yesterday denied the networkÂ’s bid to renew its franchise.

ABS-CBN president and CEO Carlo Katigbak said the company is “deeply hurt”

by the decision denying the networkÂ’s franchise application as it believes

that the broadcast giant has been “rendering service that is meaningful and

valuable to the Filipino public.”?

“We remain committed to public service, and we hope to find other ways to

achieve our mission. Together with our employees and our audiences all over

the world, we share in your sadness over this setback. We look forward to

the day when we can again reunite under our broadcast,” Katigbak said.

The ABS-CBN official nonetheless expressed his gratitude to the committee

for allowing them a chance to air their side on all the issues raised

against the company, as well as to all the congressmen who supported the

networkÂ’s bid for franchise renewal.

“We also thank everyone who expressed their support and offered their

prayers for us. We could not have gotten to this point without you,” he

said.

'MANININGIL ANG KASAYSAYAN': ABS-CBN FRANCHISE DENIAL SWEEPS PH TRENDS ON

TWITTER

MANILA — The 2022 elections as well as the phrase, "Maniningil ang

kasaysayan," were among the top Twitter trends in the Philippines on Friday,

as the country's largest broadcast network ABS-CBN was denied a fresh

25-year franchise by Congress.

The vote of the House Committee on Legislative Franchises effectively shuts

down ABS-CBN for good, over two months since it was issued a

cease-and-desist order by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC)

over an expired franchise.

ABS-CBN had been trying to renew its franchise since 2014, but faced several

roadblocks, especially under the administration of President Rodrigo

Duterte, who had repeatedly promised to close it down.

Within an hour of the House panel decision on Friday, terms related to the

ABS-CBN franchise swept the top 10 trending topics on Twitter locally.

Notably, #Halalan2022 was only second to #NOtoABSCBNFranchiseDenial, with a

flood of tweets vowing to vote in the next elections, many of which included

the list of lawmakers who voted for or against granting ABS-CBN a new

franchise.

Aside from the campaign hashtags in support of ABS-CBN, and the call to

#DefendPressFreedom, notable phrases that ranked in the list were, "Remember

this day," and, "Maniningil ang kasaysayan."

The latter was from a statement of opposition senator Risa Hontiveros, who

urged Filipinos to "speak out against this outrageous act of political

persecution."

DUTERTE DECLARES 2020 YEAR OF FILIPINO HEALTH WORKERS

MANILA — With the world hit by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic,

President Duterte has declared 2020 as the “Year of Filipino Health Workers”

to recognize the “invaluable contribution” of Filipino doctors, nurses and

medical workers here and abroad in dealing with COVID-19.

The President noted how “thousands of Filipino health workers, who compose a

major component of the nationÂ’s labor force, selflessly and tirelessly

provide essential quality and critical care to individuals, families and

groups, even in the face of great peril, fear, uncertainty and

vulnerability.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected the country and most nations

worldwide, and has posed a daunting challenge to the countryÂ’s health

sector,” the proclamation read.

MalacañangÂ’s proclamation is also in response to the World Health

Organization, which declared 2020 as the “International Year of the Nurse

and Midwife” in recognition of the vital role of such health workers in

achieving sustainable development goals and universal health coverage.

Duterte signed Proclamation No. 976 on July 6.

“The Philippines, as one of the member-states of the WHO, supports the

declaration and adopts the call to honor and celebrate all nurses, midwives

and other health workers, whose hard work and dedication have led to the

saving of countless lives, the improvement of the overall health of many and

ultimately, the betterment of our world,” the proclamation read.

IATF TO INTENSIFY CONTACT TRACING AT ENTRY PORTS

MANILA — With almost 10,000 new cases reported in the past week, the

government is intensifying its surveillance and contact tracing efforts as

well as swabbing – via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing – for

coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at all ports of entry.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious

Diseases (IATF) approved Resolution No. 53 a few days after it also allowed

the gradual reopening of the economy and the resumption of domestic and

international flights to allow travel of Filipinos with observance of

health protocols and travel guidelines.

Under Resolution No. 53 dated July 9, the IATF approved the recommendations

of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, led by Defense Secretary Delfin

Lorenzana and the Department of Transportation (DOTr), to hire more

civilians for contact tracing and swabbing at ports of entry.

The move is aimed at preventing the community transmission of the virus, as

the government balances the need to reopen the economy and maintain public

safety.

The IATF designated Subic and other ports as hubs for international crew

changes, with strict adherence to established health protocols and

guidelines.

THE REST

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LRT BANS TALKING INSIDE TRAINS

MANILA — No talking please.

For two weeks now, the LRT-1 management has been encouraging its passengers

to refrain from talking inside the trains to prevent the spread of

coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In an advisory, the LRT management told passengers that “talking is not

allowed on the train.”

“COVID-19 spreads through respiratory droplets,” it explained.

The LRT-1 management urged commuters riding the trains to “avoid talking to

other passengers inside the train,” wear face masks and rub their hands with

alcohol.

Jacqueline Gorospe, corporate communications head of Light Rail Manila Corp.

(LRMC), which operates the LRT-1, in an interview with dzBB yesterday also

advised passengers to refrain from answering phone calls inside the train.

But if the phone call was a “life and death situation,” she reminded them to

wear face masks when talking.

DTI STARTS RELEASING COVID LOANS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

MANILA — The financing arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has

started the release of loans to help micro and small enterprises recover

from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemicÂ’s impact and expects

to complete the disbursement of funds under the P1-billion lending program

by the end of next month.

In a statement yesterday, DTI said the Small Business (SB) Corp., which

administers the P1-billion COVID-19 Assistance to Restart Enterprises or

CARES program, has released P22 million worth of loans to 286 beneficiaries

as of July 8.

Of the total beneficiaries, 71 are from Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and

Quezon (Calabarzon), 52 from the National Capital Region, 46 from the

Cordillera Administrative Region, 25 from the Bicol region, 22 from Central

Visayas, 26 from Eastern Visayas, 18 from Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and

Palawan (Mimaropa), 12 from Cagayan Valley, seven from Western Visayas, six

from Ilocos and one from Caraga.

So far, SB Corp. has approved 2,419 accounts with a loan value amounting to

P178.2 million for the CARES program.

“SB Corp. looks to complete the disbursement of the P1-billion fund

earmarked for this program by the end of August,” DTI said.

MAKATI TEACHERS TO GET 2,500 LAPTOPS

MANILA — The city government of Makati is set to buy 2,500 new laptop

computers for its public school teachers, Mayor Abby Binay said on Thursday.

The computers “complement our hybrid learning system where the city

government will provide learnersÂ’ package with on-the-go (OTG) flash drive,

printed modules and daily five-hour internet load for pupils and teachers,”

she said.

The package would be given to the cityÂ’s 85,000 public school students,

along with two washable face masks, the city government earlier announced.

Under the hybrid learning system, teachers would upload the lessons for the

week on the flash drives and students would claim the flash drives and the

printed modules.

Students and teachers could meet using video call applications on Google and

Facebook.

SOUTH COTABATO MAYOR IN DUTERTEÂ’S DRUG LIST SLAIN

MANILA — A town mayor in South Cotabato who was included in President

DuterteÂ’s narco list was gunned down yesterday.

Sto. Niño Mayor Pablo Matinong Jr., 55, was inspecting an infrastructure

project in Barangay Poblacion when he was shot by motorcycle-riding men at

around 7:55 a.m., according to Soccksargen police spokesman Lt. Col. Lino

Capellan.

Matinong was among the local chief executives whom Duterte tagged in the

illegal drug trade in 2016.

Despite the allegations, which Matinong had denied, he won by a landslide in

his reelection bid in 2019.

Probers are eyeing a grudge as the motive for the killing.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

VICE GANDA REACTS AS ABS-CBN FRANCHISE DENIED

MANILA — Comedy superstar Vice Ganda was taking part in a caravan in support

of the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN on Friday, when the House panel voted to

deny the network's return to air.

"Buhay natin 'to," Vice Ganda told ABS-CBN News' Mario Dumaual, just moments

after the decision was released. "Buhay ko, buhay niyo, buhay ng audience,

buhay ng madlang people, buhay ng mga Kapamilya, buhay nating mga Pilipino.

Buhay natin ito."

The "It's Showtime" host, who has been a Kapamilya since 2009, emphasized

ABS-CBN as being ingrained in Filipino culture, in light of its legacy of

public service, news, and entertainment.

"Ang ABS-CBN, ang serbisyong ibinigay niya ay naging malaking bahagi ng

araw-araw na buhay ng mga Pilipino. Napakalaking bahagi," he said.

"Tungkol ito sa ating lahat. Hindi ito tungkol lang sa mga taga-ABS-CBN, sa

mga artista. Tungkol ito sa ating lahat. Tungkol ito sa buhay natin," Vice

Ganda said.

INDICATORS

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint you can on

it. - Danny Kaye