Laurenti Dyogi, ABS-CBN’s Entertainment Production Director and Head Director for Pinoy Big Brother, shared his sentiments during the third hearing of ABS-CBN Franchise in Congress on his social media account.
Direk Lauren shared how stressful it is to witness a hearing that gives irrelevant allegations knowing how important those meetings are for the people working for the network.
He also shared that being with the network for over 30 years has been fulfilling.
Nakakastress manuod ng congress hearing kasi malaki ang nakataya para sa aming mga nagtatrabaho sa ABSCBN. Pero sa panunuod ko, natututo ako tungkol sa batas, sa ating mga nahalal na mambabatas at higit sa lahat sa kasaysayan ng aming kumpanya. pic.twitter.com/Vgcdppxmmh
— Direk Lauren (@direklauren) June 3, 2020
Sa pakikinig ko sa aming mga bossing, masasabi ko na di ako nagkamali na manilbihan ng 3 dekada sa isang kumpanyang may malalim na kasaysayan sa Pilipinas at may tamang puso para sa mga Pilipino! Di kami perpekto pero buo ang loob "In the Service of the Filipino." Mabuhay ka EL3!
— Direk Lauren (@direklauren) June 3, 2020
Ang pasaporte ay di basehan nang pagiging Pilipino, marami akong kamag anak at kakilala na buong buhay nila walang Philippine passport pero Pilipino sila kasi ang magulang nila ay Pilipino. Isang malinaw na aral para sa atin lahat. pic.twitter.com/KNY11SdVhp
— Direk Lauren (@direklauren) June 3, 2020
While the house has been insistent about media networks be 100% Filipino-owned, it has suddenly changed its mind about the communication, transport, and communication sectors.
Nalilito rin ako. https://t.co/pJwhpJxbNw
— Direk Lauren (@direklauren) June 3, 2020
https://twitter.com/ynaguinid/status/1268055412793696258?s=20
https://twitter.com/joelrudinas03/status/1268156478973554690?s=20
Grabe nga. Even in the ABS-CBN hearing, they keep citing provisions of the Constitution, but they don’t even know what those provisions mean. Anong dual allegiance pinagsasabi nila, eh dual citizenship yung issue.
— Edgar Allan Ramos (@cgedgar) June 3, 2020
Wait….. so they are okay with full foreign ownership of these commodities, but also stage a whole hearing on the ownership of ABS-CBN because of citizenship? https://t.co/6aCJ4mwmi8
— mano. (@MERomanoRosario) June 3, 2020
On June 3, the House committees on legislative franchises and good government and public accountability tackled its third hearing on ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal.
Those against the network’s renewal questioned the citizenship of ABS-CBN’s chairman emeritus Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III. Stating that the 1987 Constitution declared that media companies should be 100% Filipino-owned. And since Lopez is an American citizen they argued that the network is supposedly foreign-owned that even its Philippine Depositary Receipts were sold to foreigners.
But Lopez responded otherwise, confidently stating that he is a Filipino citizen since birth because he was born to Filipino parents. He also affirmed that he would never renounce his Philippine citizenship. He also clarified that he never took the United States pledge of allegiance. Stressing that for the last 35 years he’s been associated with ABS-CBN, he has been committed to serving Filipinos.
Many others testified about Lopez’s citizenship. ABS-CBN’general counsel Mario Bautista clarified that Lopez is a dual citizen because he was born to Filipino parents in the United States of America.
Emmeline Aglipay Villar, Department of Justice Undersecretary, also certified that Lopez seeking recognition of his Philippine citizenship was a confirmatory act of what he already possessed.
ABS-CBN personnel as well debated on the arguments raised during the congress hearing.
