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Show of force for ABS-CBN as Senate tackles franchise renewal

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Christian V. Esguerra, ABS-CBN News

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">More demonstrators arrive in support of ABS-CBN <a href="https://t.co/Xkyw3CdOdb">pic.twitter.com/Xkyw3CdOdb</a>— Christian Esguerra (@IanEsguerra) <a href="https://twitter.com/IanEsguerra/status/1231753645684748288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2020</a></blockquote><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>MANILA—Supporters of ABS-CBN on Monday massed outside the Senate to pressure legislators to renew the franchise of the Philippines’ largest media network.A National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) petition called on Congress to “do what is right” and grant the network a fresh 25-year franchise. “Do not be accomplices in the rape of democracy,” read the petition, which described Solicitor General Jose Calida’s petition to close down ABS-CBN as a “supremely undemocratic act.”Calida’s quo warranto petition cited alleged violations in ABS-CBN’s current franchise.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/23/20/senators-probe-abs-cbn-franchise-as-calida-moves-for-networks-shutdown">Senators probe ABS-CBN franchise as Calida moves for network’s shutdown</a></li></ul>Issues against a broadcast network’s franchise should be raised during a congressional hearing and must not be used to justify a shutdown, said Raymund Villanueva, deputy secretary general of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.“Ang anumang pagpapasara sa isang media organization ay isang pag-atake sa kalayaan sa pamamahayag,” he said during the rally.(Any attempt to shutter a media organization is an attack against freedom of the press.)Lito Ustarez of the Kilusang Mayo Uno described efforts to close down ABS-CBN as a “form of suppression.”Tindig Pilinas, a coalition of civil society organizations, criticized previous pronouncements by President Rodrigo Duterte criticizing the netowrk.Duterte earlier said he would “make sure” ABS-CBN would be out of broadcast.“Hindi kapritso lamang ng isang pangulo ang dapat maging dahilan para isarado ang ABS-CBN,” Tindig Pilipinas said in a statement.(The whims of one president should not be grounds to close ABS-CBN.)

A National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) petition called on Congress to “do what is right” and grant the network a fresh 25-year franchise.

A National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) petition called on Congress to “do what is right” and grant the network a fresh 25-year franchise.

Show of force for ABS-CBN as Senate tackles franchise renewal

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Show of force for ABS-CBN as Senate tackles franchise renewal

Christian V. Esguerra,

ABS-CBN News

Published Feb 24, 2020 09:59 AM PHT

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ABS-CBN

ABS-CBN franchise

press freedom

Tindig Pilipinas

National Union of Journalists of the Philippines

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