“ABS-CBN is not perfect. No one said it was. It is open to criticism and is willing to correct mistakes and take concrete steps to improve itself.”
This is what Star Magic head Johnny Manahan said in his open letter to Congress.
Before the final house hearing for the franchise renewal bills of ABS-CBN Network, Manahan went on social media to express his thoughts on the renewal of the ABS-CBN Corporation franchise.
On Star Magic’s Instagram page, Mr. M started by narrating through his early days in the entertainment industry, doing different jobs until he became a director in 1970.
“I am Johnny Manahan, Next year will be my 50th year in the Entertainment Industry. In the 1960’ I attended the dedication of the ABS studios in the Bohol Ave address and started my career as a gofer, designer, music coordinator, crane operator, floor director, and finally as a Director in 1970.”
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He then recalled how difficult it was for him to jump from one channel to another when ABS-CBN went off the air under martial law, and how he returned to the network in 1986.
“I climbed the walls, along with Jim Paredes and Johnny Delgado to ‘liberate’ the ABS compound from the Military. And when Freddie Garcia (FMG) asked me to transfer 2 of the highest ratings shows I had in ch 13 to restart a sputtering ABS re-launch, this started my 34 years journey with the nascent ABS corp.”
Manahan wrote that some ‘gang’ wants to ruin the long run of ABS-CBN where he even described them as ‘petty-fogging’,
“Now it seems that a gang of 4 wants to finish the long run of the ABS corp. With their niggling, petty-fogging, and hair-splitting, they have unearthed technicalities that only a Talmudic scholar or medieval philosopher would appreciate.”
But despite someone wanting to stop ABS-CBN from serving Filipinos with news and entertainment the Star Magic head hopes that ABS-CBN won’t be stolen again,
“The Marcoses stole ABS from the Lopez family in 1973! Please do not steal it again !!!”
He even called out viral Congressmen Mike Defensor and Boying Remulla whom he hopes would open their eyes and see the 11,000 plus workers that depend on the network.
“You got that right cong. Mike ! I hope you, cong. Boying and your fellow lawmakers in the commitee and in the House as a whole appreciate the ABS record of Entertainment and Public Service and find it in your hearts to grant a reissue of the ABS Franchise. Millions of people and thousands of employees depend on it.”
