MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday criticized lawmakers who voted against granting ABS-CBN a fresh 25-year franchise, saying the network’s closure has affected people in far-flung areas who rely on it for news and entertainment.
“Papaano na kaya ngayon na wala nang makakarating sa kanila? Hindi man lang ito naisip noong mga bumoto laban doon sa pag-eextend ng prangkisa. Parang kung galit sila sa may-ari, hindi nila naisip iyong mga tao na nasa malalayong lugar, na ito lang iyong source, parang ito lang iyong koneksyon nila to the outside world,” Robredo said over her radio show at DZXL RMN after over 12 regional TV Patrol programs aired their final newscasts last Aug. 28, Friday.
(What will happen now that no news will reach them? The lawmakers who voted against the extension of franchise did not think of this. If they have issues with the owner, they did not think of the people in remote areas who only have ABS-CBN as its source, this is their only connection with the outside world.)
The failure to grant ABS-CBN a new franchise has led to the shut down of the network’s 12 local TV Patrol programs as well as the network’s regional public service initiatives such as the “Grand Halad sa Kapamilya.”
ABS-CBN Regional TV Networks previously aired newscasts online when ABS-CBN went off the air following National Telecommunications Commission’s cease-and-desist order against the media giant last May 5.
Robredo cited that people in Naga City, her hometown in Camarines Sur, only relied on TV Patrol Bicol, one of the newscasts that ended on Friday.
“Hindi siguro ito ramdam ng mga nandito sa Maynila, pero sa probinsya, sobrang bahagi ng buhay namin iyong ABS-CBN, siguro, Ka Ely, dahil of all of the networks, sila iyong talagang malawak iyong reach, lalo na sa mga lugar na malalayo. Kaya halimbawa, Ka Ely, sa amin, sa Bicol, iyong malalayong lugar, iyong only source of balita nila saka entertainment, talagang ABS-CBN lang,” she said.
(Manila residents don’t know this but ABS-CBN has become part of our lives because of all networks, it has a far-reaching audience especially to remote areas. For instance, in Bicol, far-flung areas have ABS-CBN as its only source of entertainment.)
It was on July 10 when the House of Representatives denied ABS-CBN’s franchise application. Only 11 lawmakers voted against the denial of the media giant’s bid for a 25-year franchise.