Palace reporters ask NTC to honor word on provisional authority for ABS-CBN | ABS-CBN

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Palace reporters ask NTC to honor word on provisional authority for ABS-CBN

Palace reporters ask NTC to honor word on provisional authority for ABS-CBN

Arianne Merez,

ABS-CBN News

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The ABS-CBN ELJ building lights up with its signature colors as it went off-air in compliance with the cease and desist order of the National Telecommunications Commission for the network to broadcast on air, May 5, 2020. Fernando G. Sepe Jr., ABS-CBN News

Malacanag Press Corps also calls out Congress' inaction

MANILA - Journalists covering President Rodrigo Duterte asked the National Telecommunications Commission Wednesday to honor its word that it will grant ABS-CBN a provisional authority to operate, a day after the regulator forced the media giant off the air.

The Malacañang Press Corps (MPC) condemned the NTC's issuance of a "cease and desist" order against ABS-CBN on Tuesday, calling it "a shameless and blatant attack on press freedom." The company's franchise expired on Monday.

"We demand that the NTC honor its commitment to Congress to issue a provisional authority to ABS-CBN and to leave the issue of the franchise renewal to Congress," the MPC said in a statement.

The group also called out Congress for its inaction on the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN and urged the legislative body to resolve the matter.

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Bills seeking a fresh 25-year franchise for ABS-CBN have languished in Congress for years.

While President Duterte has repeatedly threatened to close the company, Malacañang insists that the chief executive is "neutral" on the ABS-CBN franchise issue.

"Since 2014, Congress sat and dilly-dallied on ABS-CBN's application to renew its franchise until it was too late," the MPC said.

"We hope that the members of Congress will vote with their conscience and principles," it added.

After 65 years of service, ABS-CBN went off air on Tuesday night, an incident that the MPC branded as "one of the darkest moments in the history of Philippine media."

The last time ABS-CBN was forced off air was during the imposition of Martial Law in 1972.

The MPC urged media professionals to "unite in the face of this attack."

"We stand in solidarity with ABS-CBN and its more than 11,000 workers, whose livelihoods are now at risk because of the NTC's unreasonable and imprudent action," it said.

"We know this for what it is. Whether done in the dark days of Martial Law or under the broad sunlight of a supposed democracy, attacks against press freedom will only succeed when we are divided," it added.

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