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A loss of democracy: NUJP chair hits NTC cease and desist order vs. ABS-CBN

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ABS-CBN News

MANILA (UPDATE)-- The head of a media rights group slammed Tuesday the order of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to halt the broadcast operations of ABS-CBN Corp.National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) Chairman Nonoy Espina called the shutdown of the network a loss for democracy, freedom of the press and expression.&quot;Kalokohan na itong ginagawa ng gobyernong ito. I think they have crossed the line that we, hindi lamang sa media, kundi &#x27;yong taumbayan, should not allow,&quot; Espina said in an interview with radio DZMM.&quot;Malaking kawalan ito sa demokrasya at kalayaan ng pamamahayag at pagpapahayag,&quot; he said.Espina warned that shutting down a &quot;major outlet of information&quot; could endanger lives amid the country&#x27;s continued battle against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).&quot;Information, at this time, is very, very important tapos kukunan mo &#x27;yong taumbayan ng isang source of information,&quot; he said.For Espina, the issuance of a cease and desist order was &quot;intended to send a message&quot; since it was released 2 days after the celebration of World Press Freedom Day.&quot;This government is telling us, we do not care about your rights, we do not care about your freedom... Sobrang garapalan,&quot; he said.Rights group Karapatan decried the order, which it described as a &quot;blatant attack on press freedom.&quot;&quot;It is truly abhorrent that this order comes in the middle of a public health crisis where the free press plays a crucial role in keeping the public informed on relevant, verified, and life-saving information about the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of media workers are also at risk of losing their jobs as the country grapples with a looming socio-economic crisis,&quot; it said in a statement.&quot;We call on all freedom-loving Filipinos to stand against the State&#x27;s fascist attacks on press freedom and human rights, and to strongly resist and frustrate the Duterte administration’s nefarious tyrannical schemes,&quot; it said.In a cease and desist order issued Tuesday, the NTC said ABS-CBN must stop its broadcast operations &quot;due to the expiration of its congressional franchise&quot; on May 4.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/05/20/ntc-orders-abs-cbn-to-stop-broadcasting">NTC orders ABS-CBN to stop broadcasting</a></li></ul>The NTC gave the network 10 days from receipt of the order &quot;to respond as to why the frequencies assigned to it should not be recalled.&quot;The NTC order comes despite steps taken by Congress leaders to show that they favor a renewal of ABS-CBN’s broadcast franchise.The Senate earlier adopted a resolution expressing the chamber’s view that ABS-CBN Corporation and its subsidiaries should be allowed to operate while awaiting Congress action on its franchise renewal application.At the House of Representatives, lawmakers sent a letter to the NTC asking that a provisional authority be issued to ABS-CBN pending renewal of the network’s franchise.Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra was also of the opinion that ABS-CBN may continue broadcasting despite an expired franchise, on the strength of a provisional authority issued by the NTC.On Sunday, Solicitor General Jose Calida, who had filed a quo warranto petition questioning the validity of ABS-CBN&#x27;s current franchise, cautioned the NTC against issuing a provisional authority to ABS-CBN, saying Congress alone may decide on the fate of the network.

The head of a media rights group slammed late Tuesday the order of the National Telecommunications Commission to halt the broadcast operations of ABS-CBN Corporation.

The head of a media rights group slammed late Tuesday the order of the National Telecommunications Commission to halt the broadcast operations of ABS-CBN Corporation.