The labor group National Confederation of Labor expressed fears of a possible crony takeover of ABS-CBN once the media network fails to renew its franchise to operate.
The group sees the continuous threat of President Rodrigo Duterte against ABS-CBN and water companies as part of a plan to favor his cronies and build a financial base for the next Presidential election in 2022.
In a statement, National Confederation of Labor chairman Ernie Arellano said that the President’s attacks against the current set of oligarchs are not meant to empower the workers but to replace them with new sets of oligarchs close to him.
“The administration is attacking the owners of Maynilad, Manila Water, ABS-CBN, and others. Duterte’s intention is not to empower the workers or the state vis-à-vis these oligarchs, but only to replace them with his own set of oligarchs,” said Arellano.
“Duterte is emboldened by investments of local capitalists who serve as dummies of financiers from China, who will provide ready cash for take-overs when the franchises of the water and media utilities expire,” he added.
Duterte has continuously threatened ABS-CBN to block its franchise renewal which currently pending in Congress.
Just recently, the President even advised the owners of the broadcast network to just sell the company because he sees no progress with their franchise application.
ABS-CBN’s franchise is about to expire in March 2020. Failure to secure their franchise renewal will endanger the more than 11 thousand regular and contractual employees (including artists) of the network.
Currently, 11 lawmakers from the House of Representatives are already pushing for the renewal of the Kapamilya network’s franchise. The Senate through Senate President Tito, Sotto, Senate Pro Tempore Ralph Recto and Senator Lito Lapid also support the move for the media giant’s franchise to be renewed.
House Committee on Legislative Franchises Franz Alvares also made a statement that they are already going to start the deliberation for the bills once Congress resumes its session in the third week of January 2020.
