Former Vice President Jejomar Binay has welcomed revival efforts on the ABS-CBN franchise.
In a report by Rappler’s Mara Cepeda, Binay appreciated the latest moves by the Senate and the congress to give ABS-CBN a fresh 25-year franchise. He also scored former House Speaker Alan Cayetano for orchestrating the Kapamilya network’s franchise denial.
According to Binay, the shutdown of ABS-CBN has cost the jobs of thousands of its employees and disenfranchised many Filipinos from getting reliable and relevant news and information especially during calamities.
“It’s about time Congress rectifies this injustice committed by former Speaker Cayetano not only to the hardworking employees of ABS-CBN who lost their jobs during the pandemic but to the Filipino people who were deprived of a reliable source of news and information, especially during calamities,” he said.
“It was Cayetano who orchestrated the rejection of the broadcast franchise for ABS-CBN because of its unsparing reportage of the administration’s shortcomings. This act alone has far-reaching consequences and strikes at the heart of our rights and freedoms,” he added.
Binay: It was Cayetano who orchestrated the rejection of the broadcast franchise for ABS-CBN because of its unsparing reportage of the administration’s shortcomings. | via @maracepeda
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) January 6, 2021
Binay: This act alone has far-reaching consequences, and strikes at the heart of our rights and freedoms. | via @maracepeda
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) January 6, 2021
ABS-CBN’s franchise application was killed by 70 Cayetano-led congressmen in a vote on July 10.
Meanwhile, aside from these latest statements from Binay, he also previously volunteered to help with PIRMA Kapamilya which aimed at giving ABS-CBN franchise through people’s initiative despite being affected by its news coverage during the 2016 presidential campaign.
“Noong ako ay tumakbo bilang Pangulo noong 2016 hindi maikakaila na ako ay naapektuhan ng ilang mga ulat ng ABS-CBN News. Ganun pa man, kinikilala ko pa din ang kahalagahan ng ABS-CBN sa ating lipunan,” Binay said.
“May importanteng papel itong ginagampanan sa buhay nating mga Pilipino,” he added.
“Ngayon naman, gusto kong ipahayag and aking pagsuporta sa inyo. Ako na ang mangunguna dito sa Makati sa paglikom ng pirma para maibalik ang prangkisa ng ABS-CBN. I volunteer to be your Makati coordinator and your adviser kung gugustuhin nyo.”
