Stakeholders of media giant ABS-CBN are now getting more vocal about the issue surrounding the renewal of the network’s legislative franchise, set to expire in just a little over two months.
If none of the bills extending ABS-CBN’s franchise for another 25 years is not passed and signed into law by March 30, the network’s broadcast services will cease operation.
Last week, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines started an on-ground and online signature campaign petitioning that Congress renew ABS-CBN’s franchise.
“[W]e continue to hope that you, the elected representatives of the people, can rise above your leader's (Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano) petty vindictiveness and strike a blow in defense of freedom of the press and of expression,” reads the petition made available online.
The media rights group estimates that between 10,000 to 11,000 workers are at risk of losing their jobs.
After the NUJP collectively gathers a million signatures from the on-ground signing, as well as the change.org petition, they will submit these to Congress for review.
The online petition has collected over 120,000 signatures as of writing, with some celebrities finally speaking out.
https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2020/01/22/1986645/notoabscbnshutdown-celebrities-petition-franchise-renewal
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