Paranaque Rep. Joy Tambunting has belied claims by ABS-CBN critics and oppositors that operating a network is as simple as pushing a button.
In a statement, Tambunting, who is one of the authors of ABS-CBN franchise renewal in Congress, said the broadcast industry is not as simple as it may seem.
She said the media broadcasting is a unique industry that cannot be simply run and taken over by some people.
“Itong industriya po ay napakaiba. When we deal with our talents, kakaiba naman talaga eh. It’s a different industry… Kaya hindi ako maniniwala kung sasabihin sa akin, ‘any businessman can just take over an industry like this.’ Alam na naman natin ang nangyari sa TV5 noong araw. Medyo nahirapan. Hanggang ngayon nahihirapan. It’s really, really, really sad na nadagdagan pa po ang mawawalan ng trabaho.”
Tambunting’s remark was a response to an earlier statement of former ABS-CBN cameraman Journalie Payonan who said that anyone including him can take over the management of the network because running the media giant is as simple as pushing a button.
Payonan who testified during the ABS-CBN franchise hearing in favor of the oppositors was quoted in a live zoom session with Reps. Defensor, Marcoleta, and Remulla about taking over and running the network.
In an answer to one of the congressmen’s question if he can run ABS-CBN, Payonan didn’t hesitate to say yes saying it’s a simple push-button.
“Tama po (push button lang ang pagpapatakbo sa ABS-CBN). ‘Di ba, nauso ‘yung independent film o indie film? Isipin mo, nagagawa namin ‘yung pelikula in a span of time. Ima-market, pinanood, pinalabas, kumita, ‘yun lang po ang sistema n’ya.
“Isipin n’yo, maliit lang na key group ng isang production, nado’n na po lahat ‘yon. So, magkasama na po lahat ‘yon — marketing, pati na rin ‘yung advertising, ‘yung gano’n po.
“Ngayon po, dito, sa nakikita ko lang po, hindi ko sa sinasabing ito dapat ang mangyari, maaaring kunwari, katulad nung sinabi ni Cong. Dante Marcoleta, na just in case, nagkaroon ng hindi pag-aari ng ano, pag-aari na ng gobyerno, d’yan na ho papasok ‘yung mga konspetong pangkalusugan, konseptong agrikultura, konspeto ng kultura natin, attitude o GMRC na ‘yan, marami na hong magagawang proyekto kadi kung ‘yung indie film nga, naima-market nang gano’n at kumukita, at the same time, ano, ano pa kaya ‘yuhg meron kang network o malakas na frequency na magagamit mo s’ya?”
ABS-CBN has been shut down for almost 3 months now after the NTC issued a cease and desist order on May 5 and the House of Legislative Franchises voted to deny the ABS-CBN franchise on July 10.
Following the denial, Congressmen who are staunch oppositors of ABS-CBN franchise renewal floated the idea of ABS-CBN union employees taking over the management, because they will finally approve its franchise if it will be under new management.
However, the Congressmen forgot that Payonan is already a non-employee of the company because he was one of those retrenched in 2010.
