HE DOES not want that to happen. It’s for Congress to decide, it’s not his. He doesn’t have the power and even if he has, his power can be overruled by Congress itself.
If he has some axe to grind personally against ABS-CBN, then he will sue them for it. But certainly, he will not [want it] shut down, because he cannot in the first place, ABS-CBN.
Whether or not the alleged violations are correct, that is for the Supreme Court to decide.
The President’s utterances on his personal displeasure with ABS-CBN and his statement that he will see to it that ABS-CBN will be shut down, that should not be taken literally.
–Presidential spox Salvador Panelo on President Duterte vis-à-vis ABS-CBN
Isip, Bato
I’M SORRY for my colleagues. I will not support that.
Pasensya na kung magkatampuhan kami dito. But itong certain issue na ito, lalong-lalo na ako ang nagiging poster boy o whipping boy ng VFA, I have to stand my ground.
Ano na lang sabihin sakin ni President? ‘Ikaw Bato dinepensahan kita nung winalang hiya ka ng mga Amerikano, tapos ayaw mo man lang suportahan yung stand ko?’.
I will sink or swim with the President… [but] I am not blindly following him. Nagkataon lang na pareho kami mag-isip.
–Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on his non-support of Senate move to assert before the SC the need of legislative concurrence in scrapping treaties
Silencing truth
THE PETITION for a gag order filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida is an obvious attempt to silence all voices opposed to this government’s push to shut down ABS-CBN.
This is evident in Calida’s asking the high court to gag “parties and persons acting on (ABS-CBN’s) behalf.”
Does he also seek to silence press freedom advocates and media organizations who rightly see these attacks on ABS-CBN and other news outfits that have earned the president’s personal enmity as assaults on the critical Philippines media and on freedom of the press and expression?
Does he also seek to silence lawmakers who have criticized his quo warranto petition as an encroachment into Congress’ authority to grant franchises in violation of the principle of co-equal and independent branches of government?
Does he also seek to silence the millions of Filipinos, both here and abroad, who are fans of ABS-CBN’s shows and who have spoken out in defense of the network?
Does he also seek to silence the thousands of workers whose livelihoods have been placed at risk?
With the clearly broad opposition to the shutdown and a Senate hearing on the issue coming up, we are calling Calida’s intention for what it is, the suppression of truth and the silencing of critical voices.
–National Union of Journalists of the Philippines
