After staying silent for days, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano made his first public appearance on Wednesday after the shutdown of ABS-CBN's broadcast operations and hit back at critics of the House of Representatives over the issue of the TV network's franchise.
In his sponsorship speech for House Bill 6732, or the measure granting a provisional franchise to ABS-CBN until October 31, 2020, Cayetano responded one by one to those who criticized the House for supposedly delaying the approval of the TV network's franchise renewal.
Cayetano hit out at ABS-CBN celebrities who have spoken out against public officials. The Speaker said that while loyalty to their company is important, the celebrities "cry injustice" and blame public servants when they lose their paychecks and yet miss the "fact" that there are grave issues against their network.
ABS-CBN stars like Coco Martin and Kim Chiu have been vocal about their disaffection about the halt of the network's free television broadcast operations.
"By all means, let your voices of support for your network be heard. But if you really want to join the public debate, find it in your indignation to also support due process and fact finding as this issue is imbued with public interest --- not just yours," Cayetano said.
Not press freedom issue
Cayetano also hit out at the media, most of whom have called on the House to immediately conduct a hearing on the ABS-CBN franchise issue.
He said that by blindly calling for the approval of the ABS-CBN franchise without hearing all sides, the media presents itself "not as advocates of a fair and balanced presentation of the facts as journalists are sworn to be, but as plain and simple propagandists."
"I cannot respect that. Do not weaponize this issue for your own personal agenda. That is a disservice to the very public in whose name you claim to stand for," he said.
He added that ABS-CBN being able to broadcast content over the internet proves this was not a press freedom issue.
Cayetano even called out those who are "in the service of the Filipino" yet, according to him, wanting the House to deal with the ABS-CBN franchise issue first before other more important measures.
"E kayo nga isang dahilan kung bakit may mga issues ang network ninyo. Ang klarong bias at pakikialam sa election na bawal sa atin batas," he said.
"Hindi po natin nilalahat ang mga journalists, ngunit tulad din ng pagpapakita ninyo na ang lahat ng mga politiko ay corrupt, lahat ng mga pulis ay abusado - damay ang buong institution sa maling gawain ng iba," he added.
Shame on colleagues
Cayetano also slammed some of his colleagues of the House who say the ABS-CBN franchise bills are "important" for "belittling" the work of the chamber over the past 10 months.
"Shame on you for insulting your own House and calling your colleagues inutile, despite having passed the 2020 General Appropriations Act, the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act," he said.
Cayetano also reminded senators to let the House do its job on the ABS-CBN franchise issue.
"We want to work with you, to build our nation, but respect our timing and manner of holding our hearings. In other words, let’s all play nice, and not just pretend to be nice," he said.
Dilawan
Cayetano likewise did not forget to mention the "dilawans," whom he said will not agree to whatever he says.
"You don't even agree on the facts, simply because you think your opinions are law and are always correct," he said.
"Former Senator [Antonio] Trillanes and you deserve each other. Kayo nalang mag-usap - but take it from me, just do not disagree with him - baka pagpatayan nya kayo ng [microphone]," he added.
Message to DDS
Cayetano also sent a word to the DDS or Die-Hard Duterte Supporters, assuring them that the House "hears" them.
"As a friend and political ally of the President, part of the purpose of having this hearing is to make sure that history will judge our actions as just, na may hustisya. And that the world will not blame the Duterte admin in case the franchise application is denied," he said.
"So it is only by having these hearings where we'll be able to justify to people now and where history can look back and say na tama pala, binigay niyo yung franchise, o tama pala na hindi niyo binigyan," he added.
The House approved on second reading House Bill 6732, on the same day of the approval of the Committee of the Whole.
With the measure's approval on second reading, it only needs to hurdle the third and final reading in the House before it could be sent to the Senate for its own deliberation and then to President Rodrigo Duterte for his signature.
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