Lacson on making peace with GMA, winning without pork

A firm handshake was what Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson offered to make peace with former President and now Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whose administration he once accused of persecuting him.

Lacson said the occasion came last May when he and Arroyo sat down as members of the bicameral conference committee that was trying to reconcile the Senate and House versions of the national identification (ID) system. The senator headed the Senate panel, while Arroyo was a member of the House panel.

After the committee came up with a common version of the national ID, its members took a group photo to mark the occasion.

“(Arroyo) came forward, I met her and we shook hands. It was a warm handshake and it was genuine. It was sincere, at least on my part,” said the senator during last week’s Meet Inquirer Multimedia forum.

Dacer-Corbito ambush

After almost two decades of feuding, Lacson said he now wanted to keep the peace with Arroyo, his old nemesis whose administration had accused him of being behind the November 2000 abduction and killing of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito.

Allegations of his involvement in the killing, made by a former subordinate, police Senior Supt. Cezar Mancao II, in January 2009 forced the senator, a former chief of the Philippine National Police, to slip out of the country in early 2010.

He disappeared shortly before a Manila judge ordered his arrest for the Dacer-Corbito ambush. He denied having any hand in the crime.

The Court of Appeals later junked the charges against Lacson, who resurfaced in 2011 after 13 months in hiding.

“We are now at peace with each other, but there’s no saying I will not also [criticize her] when [an issue] goes against my advocacy,” said the 70-year-old senator, Arroyo’s biggest critic who exposed alleged corruption in her administration.

Before becoming a senator and exposing corruption in government, such as the pork barrel allocations of lawmakers in the national budget, Lacson was a disciplinarian national police chief who was praised for, among other things, ordering all police officers to trim their bellies and going after “kotong” cops.

Lacson said he did not reinvent himself when he became a senator.

His statement came as a reply to a query posed by Inquirer columnist Ramon Farolan, himself a retired military general.

“I didn’t plan those,” he  said.

Lacson said he had learned to adapt to his new environment as a civilian but also never wavered from the teachings taught to cadets at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

“It’s still embedded, it’s still very much within my person, very much within my character. That is the only thing I could take pride in until my service in government ends, whenever that will be,” he said.

Lacson said the PMA’s vow of courage, integrity and loyalty would remain in him as long as he lives.

To Farolan, a fellow PMAyer, Lacson said, “All right, sir, all right”—a phrase that covers the PMA cadet’s code of honor where a PMAyer does not lie, cheat, steal or condone those who do.

Asked how he could survive the crazy politics in the country, such as winning elections without his share of the pork barrel, Lacson said his secret was his campaign contributors.

Kindhearted supporters

He said these kindhearted supporters—“who I cannot remember anymore”—were people he had helped when he was still with the PNP.

Lacson, the former chief of the government’s main antikidnapping task force, admitted that people whom he had rescued offered money to him and his team in gratitude.

But he said he had made a stand then that policemen should not expect rewards since they were only doing their duty. He also did not want his men to become choosy in helping only people who could offer a reward.

When he first ran for the Senate, these people told him they wanted to help him out through contributions to his campaign, according to Lacson.

And that was why whenever he ran for office, these people contributed to his election campaign. “They know I don’t have pork barrel, so they help me,” Lacson said.

With the next presidential elections coming in four years, Lacson said he was not keen on running for the highest position in the land a second time. He ran for President in 2004 and lost to Arroyo.

“I’m more bored than excited [about it],” he said, admitting that the current political system is “very frustrating to say the least.”

Lacson likened the situation in the country to Sisyphus, the cruel king in Greek mythology who was punished by the gods to roll a massive boulder to the top of a steep hill forever.

Lacson admitted he felt titillated to hear people say he should succeed President Duterte, who ends his term in 2022.

“I guess it’s a question of fire in the belly,” he said, adding that for now he did not feel the excitement of going for the presidency this time around.



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PTV-4 history

1992 was also the same year that saw the return of ABC, another station closed by the martial law in 1992. In 1993, the PTV lost third place to ABC. The resurgence of RPN and IBC led to further decline of the audience for the network. In 1995, it became the last place among the five channels.

In 1996, then received a presidential citation President Fidel V. Ramos for the successful coverage of the Atlanta Olympics. Two years later, it was the official broadcaster for the country's 100th anniversary celebrations on June 12, 1998. A few weeks earlier Joseph Estrada succeeded President Ramos as president of the country after winning the 1998 elections.

In 1999, PTV remained in sixth place, but was ahead of another station, ZOE TV, which opened in 1998 and became the new last place among the seven channels.

Arroyo administration and name change to NBN (2001-2010)

In 2001, President Estrada resigned as president as a result of the Second Revolution of EDSA and was succeeded by then Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. On July 16 of that year, it became NBN (National Broadcasting Network) and carried a new slogan: "One People. One Nation. One Vision". For a new image in line with your new programming advances.

NBN expanded its broadcasting reach with the launch of NBN World on February 19, 2003, in cooperation with the Broadcasting and Television Service (TARBS). This global expansion signals new directions for NBN as it becomes accessible to the rest of the world, particularly the millions of Filipinos abroad. NBN can be seen in Australia, North America and Asia-Pacific. NBN is previously broadcasting via satellite nationwide using Agila 2, then moved to ABS 1 (now ABS 2) in September 2011 (now on Telstar 18 at the current time).

The decline of the station's audience continued in that decade, along with the other networks, at the height of rivalry between the two major networks, ABS-CBN and GMA.

In 2007, while maintaining NBN as its name, it adopted another brand, the NBN Information Channel, to position the channel as a news and information station.

Revert to PTV and recent developments (2010-present)

By 2010, NBN's top studios in Quezon City and its regional stations in Baguio, Cebu and Naga will be equipped with state-of-the-art news gathering equipment to compete with major television networks. In addition, a new Harris transmitter was installed. The power of the NBN transmitter should be increased from 40 kW to 60 kW (However, a few years later in 2013 the network was downgraded to its transmission power from 60 kW to 50 kW later, later to 40 kW or 25 kW in June 2016 to control energy costs). The NBN digital channel is now available on channel 48 now moved to channel 42 using the Japanese digital TV standard.

In 2011, NBN continued to upgrade its digital transmission capabilities with equipment donated by the Japanese government. This equipment will also allow the NBN to begin transmitting emergency alerts when needed (similar to the US Emergency Alert System), but it is more likely due to the use of the Japanese digital TV standard that the system would be based on the Japanese System J-Alert).

The station also began to eliminate the NBN brand in 2011, when it launched PTV as a secondary brand at the beginning of the year. In the latter part of 2011, the NBN brand was withdrawn and PTV was reinstated as the station name.

In March 2013, President Benigno Aquino III signed Republic Act No. 10390, which replaces the old law, in which the administration will be under reorganization and the government will infuse P5 billion into PTV to revitalize the station and make it "digitally competitive" ". PTV earned P59 million of revenue generated for the first and second quarters of 2014.

The PTV began its modernization program since 2012, including the acquisition of technical equipment for studio cameras, vehicles and high power transmitters to the main office in Visayas Avenue, Quezon City, along with some regional offices, including in their plans is the rehabilitation of PTV stations in Naga, Baguio, Iloilo, Cebu, Zamboanga, Cotabato, Calbayog, Tacloban, Pagadian and Dumaguete.

By operating with little or no budget, the new PTV was still able to cover major events in the country, including the 2013 national and local elections, the 2013 Central Visayas earthquake, Typhoon Ketsana, visits by US President Barack Obama and of Pope Francis, the APEC Philippines 2015 and the national and local elections of 2016.

It should be noted that in 2005 several Radyo ng Bayan shows were also shown on NBN with the Visayas Avenue studios used for some of them under the banner of Tinig ng Bayan. In 2014, the partnership between the two was revived with a new morning news program, RadyoBisyon, which is also broadcast simultaneously on the IBC-13 and heard on Radyo ng Bayan across the country, broadcasted from their own studios and of the RnB radio booth. Prior to launching, RnB - as part of the Philippine Broadcasting Service - has since 2012 been simultaneously broadcasting News @ 1 and News @ 6 on radio in all stations.

Revitalization under Duterte administration

Under the guidance of Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, the network will carry out a major revitalization plan to improve station scheduling and expand its national presence to stay abreast of UK state-owned equipment, NHK Japan, PBS of United United States, CBC Canada and ABC Australia. It will also implement editorial independence at the station. Andanar noted that teams from the ABC and BBC state networks will be sent to the Philippines to help with PTV's revitalization plan. He also approved a former ABS-CBN News executive, Charie Villa, to oversee the PTV-4 news division. However, Villa declined the offer because of his strong opposition on major national issues.

In June, President-elect Rodrigo Duterte said he would no longer hold press conferences and, instead, air announcements and press releases through PTV. Two months later, his promise was withdrawn, and interviews and press conferences resumed on the channel.

On June 17, 2016, PTV and Japan signed an amount of 38.20 million yen of Cultural Aid and acquisition of programs of NHK to improve the general programming of the network. Within weeks, NHK's Japan video topics returned to the channel after several years. However, one year later, on July 11, 2017, PTV and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed an agreement on another cultural aid for the planned transmission of 600 educational and cultural programs of the Japanese state broadcaster NHK in the channel through the ISDB-T digital TV standard.

On July 7, 2016, the president of PTNI, Maria Cristina C. Mariano, the PTNI vice president, Veronica Baluyut-Jimenez, the general manager of the network, Albert D. Bocobo, and the directors Josemaria Claro and Cindy Rachelle Igmat , all named during the Aquino administration, presented their resignation to Duterte through Andanar. And followed by the slogan "Telebisyon ng Bayan" was removed from the logo while retaining the 2012 PTV logo. 3 days later, former PTNI news and administrative secretary, Alex Rey V. Pal assumes the position of Responsible for the temporary network and, while Bocobo remains as General Manager of the Network until November 24, 2016. Andanar also announced the appointment of Dino Antonio C. Apolonio, former vice president of production engineering of TV5 as the general manager of the network received. However, 4 months later, on November 25, 2016, it was officially announced that the PTV named Apolonio was appointed General Manager of the Network replacing Bocobo and also assumed as director of operations of the network, while the network board member, Josemaria Claro was also appointed vice president of network.

GOCC Undersecretary George Apacible announced during the network's Christmas party on December 20, 2016 that PTV sees its goals to stand out in the television audience until 2017 as it intends to occupy third place at the currently held audience by TV5.

On January 4, 2017, PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar announced that the power of the PTV transmitter increased from 25 kW to 55 kW for clearer and better signal reception.

On January 12, 2017, PTV and the Japanese company NEC signed an agreement for the commissioning of new digital transmitters and head-end system for the transition from the network to digital terrestrial television. The network is set to launch its digital terrestrial television service initially at six locations in the Philippines by introducing DTT transmitters and compression multiplexers in Manila, Baguio, Naga, Guimaras, Cebu and Davao in the Philippines by July 2017.

A new PTV logo, replacing its 2012 version, was visualized in the March 11, 2017 issue of PTV Newsbreak on the occasion of the inauguration of the station's Cordillera hub in Baguio city. Along with the inauguration, the government transferred the new outboard vans and the digital satellite news collection vehicles. The inauguration was led by President Duterte and PCO Secretary Martin Andanar. The transition to the new logo began on April 3 of the same year, when PTV launched the wordmark logo, corresponding station identification and new graphics. Another logo, which represents some elements of the Philippine flag, is launched after the registration of the station on June 28, 2017. Also the network was relaunched as the new slogan "Para sa Bayan (for the nation)", July 2016 (before re-branding).

On June 3, 2017, PTV began simultaneous CGTN programming programs, part of its staff having visited its facilities earlier this year as part of a series of training visas for state and private TV channels around the world.

In his first address of the State of the Nation, President Duterte proposed the creation of a law that merges and integrates the People's Television Network and the Philippine Broadcasting Service into a single entity called the People's Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), similar to the BBC . The proposed PBC will also launch the country's first specialty channels for the Muslim minority (Salaam TV) and the southern Lumad people. PBC will also place the TV broadcast centers in Visayas and Mindanao, as well as its main headquarters in Luzon and TV broadcast studios in major cities. The Salaam TV began to be tested on July 10, 2017 and began regular broadcasts on July 23 of the same year.