Award-winning journalist Manny Mogato believed that there will be a time of reckoning for Duterte’s actions regarding the ABS-CBN shutdown.
In an interview with ANC’s Christian Esguerra, Mogato got asked whether people bought the Government’s pronouncements that Duterte has nothing to do with the Kapamilya network’s shutdown.
According to Mogato, Duterte’s mouthpiece Harry Roque and his allies did not succeed in shielding the President’s hand from the Network’s shutdown.
He said with the number of ABS-CBN’s followers on its social media platform, clearly, there will be a time of reckoning for Duterte and his cohorts.
“I think the president’s people especially Harry Roque did not succeed in convincing the public that President Duterte has nothing to do with the shutdown because everyone in the government from the NTC and congress which is controlled by the president because of his tremendous support from his allies in Congress would show that everything was done because of Duterte’s wishes.
“And the number of followers, of people, in ABS-CBN on social media especially on Facebook and Twitter and on Youtube would show that people did not believe Harry Roque or his people who were trying to say that the President is not behind the shutdown
“I think there will be a time of reckoning for this action maybe in one year..during election.”
ABS-CBN is shut down for a year after the NTC ordered the Network to cease its operations and the subsequent Congress denial of its franchise application.
During that time, Roque and the Palance insisted that Duterte has no hand in the fate of the Kapamilya network maintaining that it is only the Congress who has the jurisdiction over the network’s franchise issues.
However, Roque proved to be lying all the time by washing Duterte’s hands from the ABS-CBN shutdown, the President himself proudly boasts of what he did to the fate of the embattled Network.
Duterte has openly announced opposition to the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise on many occasions as early as 2017.
“So I will file a complaint. Congress, no need to renew it. But to operate is something else, so I will point this out, your garbage, then we’ll see,” Duterte said in April 2017.
“Now, ABS-CBN, their franchise is due for renewal. They sent emissaries to me. They sent Gabby away because nothing will happen. I will not talk to you, but I will also never intervene. But if I had my way, I would not give it back to you,” said in August 2018.
“If you expect that (the franchise) will be renewed, I’m sorry. I will see to it that you’re out.” said Duterte in December 2019.
He even advised the network owners to sell the company because their franchise will not be renewed.
“Itong ABS, mag-expire ang contract ninyo, mag-renew kayo, ewan ko lang kung anong mangyari sa inyo. Ako pa sa ’yo, ipagbili niyo na ‘yan. Kasi ang Pilipino ngayon lang makaganti sa inyong kalokohan. And I will make sure that you will remember this episode of our times forever.”
