GMA personalities from ABS-CBN Corporation’s rival network showed support for the disenfranchised broadcast company that signed off on Tuesday after receiving a National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) order to cease and desist operations.
ABS-CBN announced its closure on TV Patrol last night, May 5, 2020. The network’s flagship news program’s anchors and reporters delivered the reports of the NTC order to shut down all of the media corporation’s television and radio stations following the non-renewal of its broadcast franchise on May 4.
TV Patrol program anchor Ted Failon informed viewers that ABS-CBN was stopping broadcast operations of DZMM, MOR, and all of its TV and radio stations all over the country after the news program ends. Anchor Bernadette Sembrano announced the continued operation of ABS-CBN’s non-broadcast platforms such as ABS-CBN online.
Anchor Noli de Castro delivered the final word of ABS-CBN TV, saying, “Hindi man na-renew ang aming prangkisa at pinatitigil ang ating broadcast, nangangako kami sa inyo hindi kami mananahimik sa pag-atakeng ito sa ating demokrasya at sa malayang pamamahayag. Sa harap po ng pinakamalaking hamon sa amin kumpanya at sa aming mga hanapbuhay, hinding-hindi namin kayo tatalikuran kabayan. Mga Kapamilya kami, tayo, ang ABS-CBN in the service of Filipino saan man sila naroroon sa buong mundo.
“Maraming salamat po sa maraming taon na kami po ay inyong pinatuloy sa inyong mga tahanan. Maraming Salamat po sa maraming taon na ating pinagsamahan. Hanggang sa muli, Kapamilya.”
Many Filipinos around the world expressed their shock at the sudden news of ABS-CBN’s shut down at a time of the Philippines battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Social media was abuzz with ABS CBN closure topics as rival network GMA’s personalities also reacted to the network shutting down for the second time since Martial Law in its nearly 70 years of service to the Filipino nation.
Netizens and personalities tweeted and posted their reactions and support to ABS-CBN, once again sending the hashtags #NoToABSCBNShutdown, #StandWithABSCBN, and #DefendPressFreedom to trending status overnight after the same topics trended in February as the franchise renewal hit snags with government pronouncements of intent to not renew the network’s permit to operate.
“Sorrow today, courage and defiance tomorrow. #DefendPressFreedom,” GMA news anchor, Atom Araullo tweeted.
TV host, social media influencer, and actress Maine Mendoza tweeted 3 heart emojis bearing the colors red, green, and blue representing the tri-band radio transmission waves graphic elements of the ABS-CBN logo.
Actress Janine Guttierrez described the situation by using the word “Appalling” and shared a quote from American-German philosopher Hannah Arendt:
“The moment we no longer have a free press, anything can happen. What makes it possible for a totalitarian or any other dictatorship to rule is that people are not informed; How can you have an opinion if you are not informed? If everybody always lies to you, the consequence is not that you believe the lies, but rather that nobody believes any longer”.
Actor Paolo Ballesteros and Enzo Pineda both posted a photo of the ABS-CBN logo. “Sending love to our Kapamilya friends ♥️,” TV host Paolo Ballesteros wrote in the caption.
“In the service of the Filipino. Abscbn has always been part of our country’s rich history when it comes to delivering valuable information, entertainment, & helping those who are in need…what I’m worried about the most is the thousands of fathers,mothers, mga kuya, ate, anak na binubuhay ang kanilang pamilya at possibleng mawalan ngayon ng trabaho…lalo na ngayon na may crisis pa tayo na nilalabanan. Sana po maayos ito🙏🏻 #notoabscbnshutdown,” Enzo wrote in the caption of his Instagram post.
Singer and activist Leah Navarro posted, “The closure of ABS-CBN operations isn’t just about losing your favorite TV shows. This is about Duterte’s govt going back on its word, and the muzzling of a free press. #DefendPressFreedom #NoToABSCBNShutDown”
“Why is a network that has done so much for filipinos, providing 11k+ jobs, info (esp in this pandemic), and entertainment being shut down.. but POGO disregards our country’s laws AND YET is still allowed to run free & continue operations?” singer and influencer Janina Vela posted.
Here are other personalities’ tweets and posts in support of ABS-CBN:
Kara David, GMA news anchor
— Kara David (@karadavid) May 5, 2020
Raffy Tima, GMA TV reporter and news anchor
Empty. pic.twitter.com/hBrt7GODJb
— Raffy Tima (@raffytima) May 5, 2020
Pia Magalona, Talent Manager
Isigaw mo sa kalawakan. Isigaw mo sa kabundukan. Tugtugin ang iyong himig … hanggang sa mayroong makinig… !! #NoToABSCBNShutDown pic.twitter.com/SlJoELPkrT
— Pia Magalona⁷ (@piamagalona) May 5, 2020
Saab Magalona, actress
Never ako naging empleyado ng ABSCBN pero alam ko ang tama sa mali #NoToABSCBNShutDown #IStandWithABSCBN https://t.co/bishfd4v09
— Saab (@saabmagalona) May 5, 2020
Julie Anne San Jose, singer
https://twitter.com/MyJaps/status/1257648579985813505
Ces Orena Drilon, ABS-CBN news anchor
You can take us off the air but you can’t silence us. #NoToABSCBNShutDown
— Ces Oreña-Drilon (@cesdrilon) May 5, 2020
DJ Chacha, MOR DJ
To all my fellow Kapamilyas, Hugs everyone. We will get through this. Si Lord bahala sa atin. pic.twitter.com/Yuvn3ypmlk
— DJ Chacha (@mor1019chacha) May 5, 2020
The issue of ABS-CBN’s being ordered to end its operations also caught the attention of international news organizations such as Al Jazeera English and the Washington Post.
NTC has given ABS-CBN 10 days to present its case against the enforcement of the cease-and-desist-order. The network has also been advised to explore legal venues to respond to the closure order.
ABS-CBN Entertainment Online is set to live-stream the Eraserheads music-based Original Filipino Musical, “Ang Huling El Bimbo (AHEB)” to raise funds for COVID 19 relief efforts.
The multi-awarded ABS-CBN network has been involved in various initiatives outside broadcast operations through its Foundation, including providing Liter of Light solar lamps to remote areas in the country without electricity and providing relief to disaster-stricken areas.
SEND CHEERS to ABS-CBN rival GMA artists and netizens who are showing support for the Philippine media network.
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