Bayan Muna chair Neri Colmenares. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — “Sa akin ang conclusion ko diyan, nagpapasikat si SolGen Calida kay President Duterte.”
(My conclusion is SolGen Calida is showing off to President Duterte.)
Bayan Muna chairman Neri Colmenares said this Wednesday after Solicitor General Jose Calida filed a quo warranto petition before the Supreme Court against ABS-CBN in order to stop the supposed “abusive practices” of the network.
Colmenares said that Calida has done the same act before, citing the impeachment of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno who was also ousted in response to a quo warranto petition.
“Inutusan ni President Duterte ang Kongreso na i-impeach si Sereno. Sabi ni President Duterte, ‘I am going to call Speaker [Pantaleon] Alvarez to expedite the impeachment of Sereno.’ Aba, nag-file siya [Calida] ng quo warranto para ipakita sa Kongreso at kay President Duterte na mas magaling siya,” Colmenares told reporters.
(President Duterte ordered Congress to impeach Sereno. Duterte said, ‘I am going to call Speaker [Pantaleon] Alvarez to expedite the impeachment of Sereno.’ Calida filed a quo warranto petition to show the Congress and President Duterte that he is better.)
Colmenares said that Calida should not use his post in the government and taxpayers’ money to push for his political vendetta in favor of Duterte.
“Sarili niyang pera ang gamitin nya [Use his own money]. SolGen Calida and the Office of the Solicitor General is not the private law firm of President Duterte to launch his political vendetta against those he considers his enemies,” Colmenares said.
For Colmenares, the move is also a form of discrimination, as he underscored that it is an attack to press freedom.
“On all fronts, legally, unacceptable itong petition na ito and its very weak and more importantly—at wag kalimutan—mabuti kung issue lang to ng pasikatan pero libo-libong manggagawa ang apektado nito,” Colmenares said.
(On all fronts, this petition is unacceptable and very weak and more importantly, this is not just an issue of showing off, but thousands of workers will be affected by this.)
In a statement, Calida said that ABS-CBN has been hiding behind an “elaborately crafted corporate veil” and allowing foreign investors to take part in the ownership of the network which is a violation of Section 11, Article XVI of the Constitution.
Section 11, Article XVI of the Constitution states that: “The ownership and management of mass media shall be limited to citizens of the Philippines, or to corporations, cooperatives or associations, wholly-owned and managed by such citizens.”
A number of congressmen have spoken up against the OSG’s move, saying such move smacks of usurpation of the power of Congress.