Senator Ronald Dela Rosa asked the top officials of ABS-CBN if they’re aware of the real citizenship of their boss Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III.

During the senate hearing on the ABS-CBN franchise, Dela Rosa mentioned an article wrote by the Manila Times columnist Rigoberto D. Tiglao claiming that Lopez is an U.s citizen who’s still traveling using his American passport.

“Amerikano ba siya o Pilipino?” Dela Rosa asked the ABS-CBN executives.

As a response, ABS-CBN chief executive officer Carlo Katigbak said that Lopez is a Filipino citizen.

“Sa pagkaka alam ko po, Gabby Lopez is a Filipino citizen yung tatay niya po ay Pilipino at may hawak din po siyang Philippine passport,” Katigbak said.

Dela Rosa questioned how a U.S citizen like Lopez led a television network despite the foreign ownership restriction of mass media.

“Sabi dito sa article na to, Gabby Lopez has been with the company since 1987 at naging Pilipino lang siya during the application of naturalization law noong 2004, so ibig sabihin eighteen years siyang nagba-violate ng batas ang ABS-CBN kung before the naturalization law took effect siya ay U.S citizen,” Dela Rosa said.

Senator Drilon who wrote the dual citizenship act of 2003 explained to the committee that the purpose of the said law.

“The purpose was to revert to Filipino citizenship all those who lost their Filipino citizenship because of the 1932 law, therefore in effect, you are reverting to your Filipino citizenship from birth once you reacquire Filipino citizenship. In effect, retroactive,” Drilon said.

Meanwhile, ABS-CBN General Counsel Atty. Mario Bautista said that they’re going to send documents that would prove that Lopez is a Filipino citizen.

When Dela Rosa asked Drilon if the days when Lopez led the network while being a U.S citizen was disregarded, the Senator from Iloilo said that “you are never presumed to have lost your PH citizenship”.

According to Tiglao’s sources, Lopez was advised by his lawyers to acquire Philippine citizenship to avoid violating the constitutional ban on foreigners in media.

“While it isn’t clear whether the ban on foreigners in media applies to a dual citizen, it is incontrovertible that ABS-CBN violated the Constitution for 18 years, from 1986 to 2004, when Lopez was in its top management and one of its six biggest individual stockholders yet had solely US citizenship,” Tiglao wrote.

The high officials of ABS-CBN couldn’t hide their tears while listening to one of their employees who are afraid to lose their job amid the possible closure of the broadcasting company.

During the senate hearing on the franchise issues of ABS-CBN, Union President John Villanueva described how hard for the workers of the broadcasting company to think about their jobs that could lose when the network closes down.

“Nangangamba po kasi kami dahil po kung walang prangkisa ang ABS (CBN), kasama po kaming mga mangagawa na mawawalan ng trabaho,” Villanueva said.

“Umunlad po ang buhay ko at ng pamilya ko at lahat ng mga miyembro dahil po sa ABS-CBN, kaya po nangangamba ang lahat na hindi mabibigyan ng prangkisa ang ABS,” 

When asked if there are other networks that are ready to accept them if ever that ABS-CBN closes down, Villanueva said that they’re still unsure about it.

“Sa tingin ko kasi even yung ibang istasyon po ay puno na rin po ng mga mangagawa, sa tingin ko ay mahihirapan na po kaming kumuha ng trabaho sa ibang kumpanya,” Villanueva stated.

ABS-CBN Chief executive officer Carlo Katigbak and chief operating officer (COO) of broadcast Cory Vidanes wipe their tears after hearing the emotional testimony of their employee.

Even Karen Davila who’s watching the senate hearing said that she was touched by the scene.

Was very touched seeing this. https://t.co/Vti7nVNlKc

— Karen Davila (@iamkarendavila) February 24, 2020

Recently Katigbak said that they’re doing their best to make their company more pro-worker.

“We will continue to find ways to better take care of our employees. But it should allow us to sustain the help we give them. The fact workers call ABS-CBN their family is a sign that we’ve treated them well,” Katigbak said.

Despite the positive statement from their current employees, some former workers of ABS-CBN narrated how they were badly treated by the company in the past.

In a congressional hearing a few weeks ago, Journalie Payonan a former employee of ABS-CBN recounted that they tried to fight for their labor rights, but ended up getting fired by the company.

He also shared a story to prove how they were badly treated by the company, saying that his colleagues were invited to a hotel by ABS CBN Chairman Emeritus Gabby Lopez for a feast only to be told that they’re going to lose their jobs.

“Yung ibang kasamahan namin, pinatawag sa apat na hotel, pinakain ng masarap, may security guard para lang sabihin lang na ‘wala ka ng trabaho’, yung iba halos mabaliw kasi akala nila promotion eh,” Payonan told the lawmakers.

Liberal Party President and Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said that they also felt resentful to ABS-CBN because their advertisements for the last 10 days of the 2019 senatorial campaign was not aired by the said broadcasting network.

During the Senate hearing on the ABS-CBN franchise, Pangilinan is one of the senators who recounted their bad experience with the rules and regulations for political ads.

According to him, in the last ten days of the election, ABS-CBN fails to air millions of pesos worth of ads to promote the opposition senatorial bets Otso Diretso.

Pangilinan pointed out the importance of the said ads, saying that if those commercials were aired, the result of the election may change.

“Milyong pisong halaga ng ads ang hindi na air dahil nga sa proseso, so kung iisipin ng ating mga kababayan na may bias siguro, eh walang bias samin,” Pangilinan said.

“Critical sa amin yung huling sampung araw na dapat sana’y na air yung ads na yun at baka sakaling nag iba ang resulta nung halalan, ngunit wala po kaming magawa, may hinanakit rin kami pero hindi natin dadalhin natin sa usapin na mawawalan ng trabaho yung 11,000 mga kababayan natin,” he added.

It can be remembered that all the candidates of Otso Diretso fail to win the senatorial elections.

Recently, ABS-CBN CEO Karlo Katigbak explained that because of what happened to President Duterte’s advertisement in 2016, they tried to improve their rules and regulations to avoid having problems with candidates in the future.

ABS-CBN’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Karlo Katigbak apologized to President Rodrigo Duterte for failing to air his political ads in 2016.

Katibak made the said statement after Senator Christopher “Bong” Go’s opening statement which asking the broadcasting company why they prioritized airing the ads that made against President Duterte.

The CEO of ABS-CBN explained that there are two kinds of political ads that being paid by the candidates, first is the national ads and the second is the local ads.

According to Katigbak, they aired all the advertisements ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte for the national category which costs P117-M.

However, they admitted that out of the P65-M pesos worth of local ads, 7-M worth was not aired because they’re following a “first come, first serve” policy.

Katigbak also recounted that they rejected the first version of the anti-Duterte ad because the children featured in the commercial are doing inappropriate actions and behaviors.

However, they approved the second version of the commercial because they found the children only asking questions about President Duterte’s behavior.

He then pointed out that under the code of Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) they’re required not to reject any candidate’s ad.

“In other words, any candidate who comes to our station with an ad that is legal and legitimate must be accommodated,” Katigbak said.

He then clarified that the anti-Duterte ad belonged to the national category that’s why they aired it.

Katigbak also said that they’re not meant to hurt President Duterte’s feeling during the election period.

“We were sorry if we offended the President. We felt that we are just abiding with the laws and regulations that surround the airing of political ads,” Katigbak said.

“ABS (CBN) does not and will not have its own political agenda,” he added.

One week before the 2016 presidential election, the nation was surprised when ABS-CBN aired an advertisement showing children asking the morality of one of the candidates during that time, former Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

“Tama po bang murahin ang Santo Papa?” “Ituro niyo po sa amin ang tama,” “Mali po ang mambastos ng mga babae,” these are what the children said in the advertisement while showing the controversial clips of Duterte.

ABS-CBN already defended the airing of the ad in 2016.

“Prior to the airing, ABS-CBN’s ethics committee reviewed the content of the material, which complies with the requirements of the pertinent election laws,” the ABS-CBN said in their statement.

A Youtuber also published the rejected version of the anti-Duterte ad.

The said ads are one of the sources of President Duterte’s anger towards ABS-CBN.

Senator Manny Pacquiao expressed his support to ABS-CBN during the senate hearing on the franchise renewal of the said broadcasting company.

Pacquiao, who’s one of the co-authors of the Senate ABS-CBN’s franchise bill said that people should be thankful that the television network giant is existing.

According to him, ABS-CBN existence is very important because many people are learning and getting informed by watching the television station.

“Kung titignan lang talaga natin sa bansa natin because of ABS-CBN, nai-inform tayo sa mga kaganapan sa bansa natin, marami tayong nalalaman, naa-update sa mga nangyayari,” Pacquiao said.

“Doon sa mga taong sumasawsaw kung saan sila papanig, aalalahanin nating mga sambayanang Pilipino gusto maisip ninyo na because of ABS-CBN, marami tayong natutunan, naa-update tayo palagi sa mga kaganapan sa buong bansa natin, in that way siguro dapat tayong magpasalamat sa ABS-CBN,” he added.

After his opening statement, Pacquiao then asked ABS-CBN what may possibly happen to the employees of their network if they possibly close down because of the franchise expiration.

As a response, ABS-CBN’s chief of human resources Mario Carlo Nepomuceno said that there are 11,017 employees that could be affected by the closure of the network.

The 11,017, includes the artists, the workers of the foundation and also the employees of the ABS-CBN global.

Nepomuceno also admitted that they cannot sustain their international operations if ABS-CBN closes.

ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal is set to expire in March 2020.

Senator Ralph Recto asked the National Telecommunication Commission Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba why they’re going to close down ABS-CBN despite the network having no pending penalty records to their agency.

During the Senate hearing on ABS-CBN, Recto asked Cordoba about the possible consequences of the franchise expiration of the broadcasting company, asking what would happen to the employees of the said network and how they’re going to pay their debts in different banks in the country.

He then asked Cordoba if ABS-CBN has a penalty with the NTC, which the NTC commissioner answered no.

Recto said that the closing of ABS-CBN may be too much if the network doesn’t have any violation with the NTC.

“And here we are talking about the possibility of closing the station, so far you are the regulator and you’re not complaining of any penalty, in effect parang capital punishment, wala naman palang penalty, bakit natin isasara kung walang penalty sa inyo?” Recto said.

“Assuming na may penalty sa inyo edi pag multahin nalang, bakit kailangan pang isara?” he added.

Cordoba fails to answer the question of Recto.

ABS-CBN’s franchise is set to expire in March 2020 and some Senators are already asking the NTC if they’re going to give a temporary license to operate to the tv station for two to three more years.

A netizen criticized Kapamilya journalist Karen Davila for insisting that President Rodrigo Duterte is possibly controlling the House of the Representatives to delay the talks on the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN.

Davila, after her viral interview with Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, posted several tweets about President Duterte’s ability to hasten or to delay the renewal of the broadcasting network.

“Ang TOTOO. Kahit ano pang sabihing dahilan na “separation of powers”, sinasabi pa rin ng ilang kongresista na kung gusto ng Pangulo, didinggin nila ang prankisa. Yun ang realidad nila sa mababang kapulungan,” Davila said on her tweet.

Ang TOTOO. Kahit ano pang sabihing dahilan na “separation of powers”, sinasabi pa rin ng ilang kongresista na kung gusto ng Pangulo, didinggin nila ang prankisa. Yun ang realidad nila sa mababang kapulungan. pic.twitter.com/t9c9JtT9Sg

— Karen Davila (@iamkarendavila) February 22, 2020

Netizen Noel Landero Sarifa is one of the netizens who responded to Davila’s tweet, asking why the journalist was still insisting that Duterte had a role in the issue of ABS-CBN franchise despite talking already to the spokesperson of the President.

According to him, Davila should stop interviewing anyone if she’s not going to believe what they’re saying.

Sarifa pointed out that Congress should address more important bills than focusing on the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN.

“Naginterview ka pa kung hindi mo rin naman tatanggapin ang salaysay ng ininterview mo. Hindi ka naman imbestigador or judge to say which is which, the media is to present the side of the story of both party, but it seems you are to bias to accept the side of the state. Kung hindi mo kayang paniwalaan ang separation ng house, senate at executive e di sana di ka na nag-interview kung di mo rin naman paniniwalaan sasabihin nila. Mali ang pagkaitindi mo sa balita,” Sarifa said.

“Bakit ba baluktot pag-iisip mo? Hindi ba pruweba yan na hindi nakikialam ang pangulo? May mga nakaline up na sa session ng congress, so gusto mo sumingit kayo sa Pila? Gusto nyo kasi kayo mauna, hindi ang taumbayan. Aba may mga priority ang congress at yun ang alam nilang mas makakatulong sa bayan hindi ng station mo,” he added.

The netizen also said that by not certifying the ABS-CBN franchise renewal bill as urgent, it showed that President Duterte is not interfering with the said issue.

“Ibig sabihin, gagawin pa rin ng Congress ang trabaho nila, nila sa pagtalakay ng franchise renewal nyo kaso nga lang hindi sya urgent. Ikaw ang nag-uudyok sa pangulo na makialam sya sa proseso ng kongreso, ayaw nya nga pakialaman e. House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said holding hearings into the network’s franchise is “not that urgent” so speaker may sabi nun. Pagginawang urgent yan ng pangulo e di pakikialam yun, di ba?” he said.

House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said many times that they’re not rushing to discuss the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN because many people are still emotional about the issue.

He also claimed that ABS-CBN could still operate even after its franchise expires.

Source: [1]

Former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque criticized the plan of Senator Grace Poe to conduct a hearing on the franchise of ABS-CBN despite having a conflict of interest.

In an interview with Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) News Channel, Roque questioned why Senator Grace Poe is going to lead the investigation even if her family has a close-ties with ABS-CBN.

Roque said that Poe, as a Senator, was supposed to be a role model to other public officials. That’s why she must show that she has high ethical standards.

“Ang sa akin bakit naman pamumunuan ni Senator Grace Poe itong pandinig na ito, samantalang mayroon siyang conflict of interest? Ang nanay niya nagtatrabaho sa ABS-CBN, yung library ng tatay niya na si FPJ ay binili at pagmamay-ari ngayon ng ABS-CBN,” said Roque.

“Ang sa akin, bagamat ikaw ay halal na Senador, mataas na opisyales kuno, ikaw yung magpapakita na mataas ang iyong ethical standards,” he added.

Senator Poe’s family owned the FPJ Productions which handling the top television program in ABS-CBN “Ang Probinsiyano”.

Poe’s adoptive mother, Susan Roces is the Chief Executive Officer of FPJ Productions.

In 2013, ABS-CBN also bought the rights to the late Fernando Poe Jr’s exclusive movie library for an undisclosed price.

However, Roque said that the correct thing for Poe should do is to avoid discussing the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN and should focus on investigating the alleged violations of the broadcasting company.

Poe’s Committee on Public Service is set to discuss the issue of ABS-CBN on Monday.

She also invited Solicitor General Jose Calida who filed the quo warranto petition against ABS-CBN.