MANILA, Philippines — About 300 employees and supporters of ABS-CBN flocked to the Batasang Pambansa Complex on Thursday to urge lawmakers into granting the network another 25-year franchise.
Bearing placards written with “Yes to ABS-CBN” and “Defend Press Freedom,” employees and supporters of the network first assembled in front of the premises of ABS-CBN and held a “caravan” composed of about 144 vehicles going to the Batasang Pambansa Complex.
“Ito’y hindi na laban ng kumpanya, laban na ng empleyado,” Raul de Asis, technical head of ABS-CBN’s studio technical engineering, said in an interview.
(This is not only the fight of the company but also the fight of the employees.)
“Alam namin na ang kumpanya makakasurvive pero kaming mga empleyado na umaasa sa ABS-CBN, ito yung bread and butter namin. Sana man lang pakinggan yung aming pakusap,” he added.
(The company may survive but we employees depend on ABS-CBN. This is our bread and butter. We hope they will hear our plea.)
ABS-CBN officials earlier claimed that 11,000 of its employees stand to lose their jobs should the network be stopped from operating.
Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate also spoke in front of the protesters, urging the media network to initiate labor reforms should it be granted a renewal of its franchise.
While he also urged lawmakers to vote affirmatively on the network’s franchise, Zarate also called on them to craft a law that will end unfair labor practices such as labor-only contracting.
“Hinahamon natin ang ating mga kasamahan na biglang pro labor, magpasa tayo ng batas para mabigyan ng wakas ang problema itong kinakaharap ng manggagawa,” he said.
(We are challenging our colleagues to pass a law that will end this problem being faced by workers.)
“Hindi sapat na dahilan na may labor problems na isara ang ABS-CBN dahil ang katumbas nito ay 11,000 din na manggagawa ang mawawalan ng trabaho pag pinasara ito,” he added.
(Labor problems are not enough to have ABS-CBN closed because 11,000 employees stand to lose their jobs.)
The House panels on legislative franchises and good government and public accountability will end hearings on ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal on Thursday.
Zarate said members of the legislative franchises panel are set to vote on bills seeking for the network’s franchise renewal but chairman Franz Alvarez said a final date for voting has yet to be set.
READ: Summation of discussions on ABS-CBN franchise all set
During the hearings, lawmakers tackled various issues lodged against ABS-CBN such as the citizenship of the network’s chair emeritus Gabby Lopez, the Lopez family’s reclaiming of the company after the EDSA Revolution, the network’s involvement in alleged labor violations as well as tax-related issues, and their alleged political bias, among others.