MANILA, Philippines — People in the newsroom of media giant ABS-CBN witnessed how their network went off the air on Tuesday night following the National Telecommunications Commission’s (NTC) order to stop operations.
But as much as they wanted to console and hug each other, they couldn’t, as they still followed social distancing due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
This was the observation of ABS-CBN veteran broadcast journalist Ces Oreña-Drilon, as she shared the moment the network signed off.
We just signed off. And people in our newsroom couldn’t even hug each other.
— Ces Oreña-Drilon (@cesdrilon) May 5, 2020
“We just signed off. And people in our newsroom couldn’t even hug each other,” Oreña-Drilon shared on Twitter.
Her words were somehow proven by Jeff Canoy’s video that he posted on his Instagram, as people in the newsroom clapped after the network went off the air at exactly 7:52 p.m.
The NTC handed down the cease and desist order against ABS-CBN after its legislative franchise expired on Monday, May 4.
In its order, it cited Republic Act No. 3846 or the Radio Control Law which states that “no person, firm, company, association, or corporation shall construct, install, establish, or operate a radio transmitting station, or radio receiving station used for commercial purposes, or a radio broadcasting station, without having first obtained a franchise therefor from the Congress of the Philippines.”
Eleven bills on ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal remain pending before the House committee on legislative franchises.
In March, the NTC gave its word before House of Representatives members that they will grant a provisional authority—following the advice of the Department of Justice—allowing ABS-CBN to operate even after its franchise expires since its renewal bid remains pending in Congress.
But Solicitor General Jose Calida warned NTC officials that they could be subjected to prosecution should they went on with giving provisional authority to ABS-CBN even without a franchise.