- He’s a former Kapamilya who appeared in the series The Good Son
Movie and TV actor John Estrada has expressed his support for the giant network ABS-CBN after it was ordered to shut down by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) following the expiration of its franchise to operate on May 4, 2020.
The former Kapamilya shared that he owes a debt of gratitude to the network after staying there for more than 20 years.
In an instagram post,Estrada said, “Twenty-plus years akong nag-work sa network na ito. Napakalaki ng utang na loob ko sa ABS-CBN. Marami akong naging kaibigan at kaibigan ko pa rin hanggang ngayon kahit nasa GMA ako ngayon. Mula sa bosses, artista, direktor, production staff, cameramen, at lalong lalo na ang utility men sa network na ito.”
He said that he is also worried about the thousands of employees who will lose their jobs.
“Isa ako sa mga nananalangin na mabigyan kaagad ng prangkisa ang network na ito dahil alam kong napakaraming tao ang mawawalan ng trabaho,” he added.
ABS-CBN went off air on May 5, 2020 in compliance with NTC‘s cease and desist order.
Eleven bills had been filed seeking ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal but none of them were enacted by the House of Representatives.
Last March, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) announced that it will issue a provisional authority to allow ABS-CBN and its subsidiaries to operate until June 2022, while Congress continues to deliberate on the renewal of its franchise. But the agency reneged on its promise and instead ordered a cease and desist order against the media giant.
On Monday, May 18, the House of Representatives has suspended the consideration of House Bill 6732, or the bill granting ABS-CBN a temporary franchise filed by House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano. For this reason, the network might stay closed longer period of time resulting in its employees losing their jobs.
Amid the viral outbreak outbreak in the country, Estrada said he is now happy that he is spending more quality time with his daughter Anechka and wife Priscilla Mierelles.
“Well, now that we have all the time in the world, me and Pri excercise everyday. We do a 15-minute full body workout from YouTube. We run, walk, bike, we clean our house. All of that,” he said.
“We play board games with our daughter. We watch movies and we read alot of books with her, play sports, etc.”
He also shared his realizations in life during this quarantine period.
“It taught me a lot. First is that life can just end in a flick of a finger. Me and Derek (Ramsey) were just chatting with Tito Menggie (Cobarrubias) few days before he passed and I didn’t even know that he was that sick.
“We belong to a celeb golfers chatroom and all of a sudden somebody just messaged us saying that Tito Menggie just died and it shocked me.
“This is a very scary disease. I’m scared for my mom and, of course, for my wife, my kids.
“Getting old is really a privilege nowadays. You really have to treasure every single day. Make the best out of it.”
