Pangilinan to admin: Focus on nCoV instead of harassing critics

MANILA, Philippines – Opposition Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Monday called on the Duterte administration to focus on public safety amid the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV instead of harassing and threatening its critics and media.

Pangilinan issued the statement after the Office of the Solicitor General asked the Supreme Court to forfeit the franchise of broadcast network ABS-CBN for alleged “abusive practices.”

READ: BREAKING: Solicitor General asks SC to forfeit ABS CBN’s franchise

According to Pangilinan, it’s the duty of Congress to give due process to ABS-CBN’s application for the renewal of its franchise.

“It’s our mandate under the law to put any such application through the correct process, which Congress has granted to other networks,” he said in Filipino.

“Complaints against the network should have been formally filed in Congress so that they could be tackled in a hearing and so that all sides would have an opportunity to be heard,” he added.

Aside from the issue on ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal, Pangilinan also cited the decision of the Department of Justice’s to indict former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and others of conspiracy to commit sedition for their alleged involvement in the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos that linked President Rodrigo Duterte and his family to the illegal drug trade.

READ: DOJ indicts Trillanes, ‘Bikoy’ and 9 others of conspiracy to commit sedition

According to Pangilinan, these recent actions by the government are forms of “harassment” that distract the public from the threat of the nCoV outbreak.

/atm