Actress and singer Sharon Cuneta is now following other celebrities who are showing their support to the franchise renewal of television network ABS-CBN.
In a press conference after signing a new contract with ABS-CBN, Cuneta asked President Duterte to reconsider his decision to close down the television network because thousand of employees might lose their job.
Photo: reallysharoncuneta
“I’ll just say this before saying goodbye—I pray that our dear President reconsiders his decision about ABS-CBN, not just because I just renewed, I can always find a job,” Cuneta said.
“But because everybody I grew up with here—who have remained loyal to the station and have grown up here having learned from the school of hard knocks and have become family and good friends—will lose almost everything they’ve built over the years, And even those that might choose to stay—if indeed, unfortunately, goes that way—it won’t be the same,” she added.
“So, I hope in my heart that our dear President reconsiders the thousands and thousands of Filipinos who have grown up here and learned the ropes here, and that includes me,” she also said.
Cuneta is a close friend of President Duterte, but ironically she’s also the wife of Senator Francis Pangilinan one of the political enemies of the chief executive.
Duterte in several of his speeches criticized ABS-CBN and said that he’s not going to support the franchise renewal of the said television network which set to expire in March 2020.
“Ang inyong franchise mag-end next year . If you are expecting na ma-renew ‘yan, I’m sorry. You’re out. I will see to it that you’re out,” said Duterte.
“Ang ABS-CBN, ‘yung bunganga ng inyong interes, they protect you…Kayo ngayon, mag-renew kayo ng contract? Ilan kayong mga senador ngayon na nagbayad sa inyo na hindi ninyo pinalabas yung kanila?,” Duterte added.
The President started to criticized ABS-CBN after he accused the network of not airing his paid political ad during the presidential campaign and instead aired the anti-Duterte commercial allegedly funded by former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
“Unang nilabas ninyo ‘yung kay Trillanes ‘yung using the children of a propaganda…. Tinanggap ninyo ang ₱2 million ko, ni wala…Hindi lang ako ‘yung na-ganoon, Chiz Escudero, marami. Lahat sa Congress,” he said.
“And you want us to bow down to your wealth and money and influence? Well, not with this administration,” he added.