Cayetano ‘willing’ to ask House members to help ABS-CBN employees after franchise denial
House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano. INQUIRER file photo / JOAN BONDOC
MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday said he is “willing” to ask some members of the lower chamber to help artists and employees of ABS-CBN should they wish to form a cooperative that could manage the network.
Cayetano made the remark in response to the earlier statement of Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor that ABS-CBN employees may manage the network on their own after its franchise application was denied by the House committee on legislative franchises.
“Let me leave it at that, at I’m willing to assign people in Congress and ask some chairmen, chairpersons to help kung interesado talaga ang mga artista at empleyado ng [ABS-CBN],” Cayetano said in a press briefing.
(Let me leave it at that. I’m willing to assign people in Congress and ask some chairmen, chairpersons to help if the artists and employees of ABS-CBN are really interested.)
“Pero naiintindihan kong hindi ito pwedeng pag-usapan in public kasi ‘pag sinabi nilang they support, para nilang iniiwan ‘yung network. Kapag sinabi namang hindi, para namang it’s about the Lopezes, it’s not about ‘yung trabaho ng mga tao,” the House Speaker added.
(But I understand that this cannot be discussed in public because if they say that they are in support, it would look like they left their network. But if they don’t support, it would like it’s about the Lopezes and that it’s not about the jobs of the people.)
Cayetano expressed beliefs that journalists will be more independent if they are operating as a cooperative and not under traditional corporation or a family-owned corporation.
While he admitted that there will be challenges in doing this, Cayetano said that it is not impossible.
“Let me give you an example: DZMM. Oh kung ‘yung mga broadcasters sila mismo ang mga may-ari at walang magdidikta sa kanila kung sino ang kakampihan sa eleksyon, walang problema sila sa tax—walang problema,” Cayetano said.
(Let me give you an example: DZMM. If broadcasters would be the ones to own it and no one will dictate to them on who to side with during elections and they don’t have issues with tax, then no problem.)
“We pass broadcast franchises every month or every other month sa Congress at walang nagiging problema ito, basta’t nga ang mga problemang nakita doon sa ABS ay hindi present,” the House Speaker added.
(We pass broadcast franchises every month or every other month in Congress and there would be no problems if the problems previously seen with ABS-CBN are not present.)
Another hurdle that this move may face, Cayetano said, is the situation of the media industry especially during the pandemic.
Cayetano said that even without the franchise issue, advertisers are currently choosing to spend their money on providing aid instead of airing commercials.
Shooting of films and television shows are also a struggle because of the pandemic, said Cayetano.
“So kung matutuloy man ‘yan, ‘yung suggestion nga ng marami pati ni Chairperson Mike Defensor, I think it should be done quietly at isaalang-alang natin sila. May mga sumasakay kasi gustong gawing political issue eh,” Cayetano said.
(If it will push through, my suggestion with Chairperson Mike Defensor, I think it should be done quietly so as to protect them. There are people who want to make this a political issue.)
“It’s a very complex issue, but it’s emotional because you have real people who are facing real problems at this point in time. But we’re willing to be part of the solution on the consequences of our actions,” Cayetano said.
Earlier, an overwhelming 70 lawmakers in the House’s legislative franchises committee voted against granting ABS-CBN a franchise, with only 11 lawmakers voted for the granting of the franchise.
The network has been off the air since early May after its television and radio operations nationwide were ordered shut following the expiration of its 25-year franchise, the renewal of which was pending in Congress at the time.
Days after the decision, ABS-CBN announced that it will cease operating some of its businesses and start retrenching workers by the end of August.
