Protests and tears after Philippine lawmakers deny license to broadcaster at odds with Duterte
Record ID:
1561783
Protests and tears after Philippine lawmakers deny license to broadcaster at odds with Duterte
- Title: Protests and tears after Philippine lawmakers deny license to broadcaster at odds with Duterte
- Date: 10th July 2020
- Summary: MANILA, PHILIPPINES (JULY 10, 2020) (REUTERS) ABS-CBN EMPLOYEES CRYING AFTER HEARING DECISION VARIOUS OF EMPLOYEES AND SUPPORTERS PROTESTING OUTSIDE ABS-CBN HEADQUARTERS VAN DRIVING BY WITH ABS-CBN ACTORS HOLDING PROTEST BANNERS PROTESTER HOLDING UP RIBBON (SOUNDBITE) (English) ABS-CBN PRESIDENT OF CREATIVE PROGRAMS, ERNESTO LOPEZ, SAYING: "I look at what is happening and you know in my eyes, personally, I cannot represent my family I cannot represent ABS, it looks political, highly highly political. But that being said, I respect their decisions and I respect what they have done. I will accept it. It's painful." EMPLOYEES AND SUPPORTERS PROTESTING OUTSIDE ABS-CBN HEADQUARTERS VARIOUS OF ABS-CBN LOGO (SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) ABS-CBN ACTRESS, KARLA ESTRADA, SAYING: "It's very sad for everyone, not just for us but also the thousands of employees and the millions of viewers of ABS-CBN." VARIOUS OF EMPLOYEES AND SUPPORTERS PROTESTING OUTSIDE ABS-CBN HEADQUARTERS VARIOUS OF BUILDING OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
- Embargoed: 24th July 2020 11:21
- Keywords: ABS-CBN Congress franchise renewal
- Location: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
- City: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
- Country: Philippines
- Topics: Fundamental Rights/Civil Liberties,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001CM86QMF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: PART VIDEO QUALITY AS INCOMING
Philippine lawmakers on Friday (July 10) voted against the renewal of a 25-year franchise for top broadcaster ABS-CBN Corp, ensuring a media conglomerate that has clashed with the country's firebrand president stays off the air indefinitely.
A legislative committee overwhelmingly supported a house working group's assessment that ABS-CBN was "undeserving of the grant of legislative franchise", a decision likely to anger activists who say media freedom has come under sustained attack under the rule of President Rodrigo Duterte.
ABS-CBN has been on tenterhooks since Duterte took office in 2016, with the president repeatedly threatening to thwart its renewal bid, his anger stemming from its failure to air some of his paid election campaign commercials. It has since apologised.
Though Duterte enjoys a super-majority in the lower house, his legal advisor Salvador Panelo said the president had no involvement in the decision and "doesn't intrude on the affairs of an equal branch".
The move against the broadcaster comes as concerns grows about human rights and media freedom under Duterte in a country with a reputation for being one of Asia's most liberal democracies.
ABS-CBN, which says its 21 radio and 38 television stations reach 70% of the country's 107 million people, can appeal the decision, but minority lawmaker Edcel Lagman said that would likely fail because "there was pressure from leadership."
(Production: Adrian Portugal, Peter Blaza) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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