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PH gov’t orders ABS-CBN shutdown
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — Amid the ongoing pandemic, the National Telecommunications Commission has ordered the shutting down of Philippine media giant ABS-CBN.
In an order circulating online, the NTC said that upon the expiration of Republic Act No. 7966, which granted the media network’s franchise to operate, ABS-CBN “no longer has a valid and subsisting congressional franchise” as required by Philippine laws.
ABS-CBN, referring to its television and radio stations, was given 10 days to comment on why their frequencies should not be recalled.
In a statement, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines assailed the NTC order, adding that it would “do no good to the Filipino people if the country’s biggest media corporation, one that is relied upon by a great number of the people during this pandemic for news, entertainment and relief delivery, if it ceases operations tomorrow.”
Two days ago, World Press Freedom Day, Solicitor General Jose Calida warned the NTC against issuing a provisional authority to operate without a franchise.
“Calida threatened ABS CBN and the NTC amidst a vicious pandemic when it is quite obvious that the media could be partners in these difficult times, as they have done these past eight weeks,” said the NUJP.
Ronalyn Olea, managing editor of online news Bulatlat, said this is a serious blow to press freedom and the right to information of the public.
“Silencing one of the biggest media outfits only serves the interest of the tyrant in Malacañang who does not see the important role of the media in this health crisis,” she said.
Meanwhile, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said in television interview that it is a “sad day” that the order came when the country is confronting a pandemic.
Vergel Santos of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, for his part, said this is a “distraction” from the pandemic, adding that the media giant has stepped up on its reporting as they pointed out inefficiencies of government response.
The NUJP said, “we ask, who really speaks for this government? Is the government so blinded by its chief executive’s hatred of an entity that it dares to flaunt our nation’s collective sense of fair play, due process, and common good when the entire country grapples with a problem infinitely more pressing and dangerous?”
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Resist attacks on ABS-CBN and press freedom! —Karapatan
Karapatan stands in solidarity with journalists and freedom of expression advocates against this blatant attack on press freedom with the recent National Telecommunications Commission’s cease and desist order against ABS-CBN. It is truly abhorrent that this order comes in the middle of a public health crisis where the free press plays a crucial role in keeping the public informed on relevant, verified, and life-saving information about the COVID-19 pandemic.
After 7 weeks of lockdown: Meager cash aid puts HHs below official poverty line
Research group IBON said that 97% of 11.4 million served
beneficiaries are barely surviving the lockdown with cash aid that is way below
the official poverty line. Meanwhile, 37% of 18 million low-income households
are still waiting to receive social amelioration after seven weeks of enhanced
community quarantine (ECQ). The group said that, already so late in the game,
the government urgently needs to pick up its pace if it really intends to aid
millions of struggling Filipino families.
Based on Pres. Duterte’s latest report to Congress, IBON
said that the administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has dragged on
for too long and is still insufficient, pushing many vulnerable households into
deeper poverty.
A total of 11.4 million beneficiaries were reported to have
been given social amelioration from various government agency programs. Of
this, IBON estimates that 11 million or 97% of served beneficiaries have
received emergency subsidies equivalent to just Php80-119 per day over 49 days
of lockdown. This is as little as just one-fourth (23%) of the very low
official poverty line of about Php353 per day for a family of five.
These include 4Ps beneficiaries (3.8 million) that got only Php89
per day of cash aid; non-4Ps beneficiaries (6.4 million) with Php119/day,
DOLE-CAMP workers (522,855) with Php102/day; and TUPAD informal workers (254,071)
with just Php80/day.
PUV/TNVS drivers and overseas workers supposedly received
relatively higher support of some Php8,000 and Php10,000 respectively. However,
these are also still below the official poverty line of Php10,727 monthly on
average nationwide.
Meanwhile, there are still millions of households that have
not received promised emergency subsidies for more than a month-and-a-half. If
just 11.4 million beneficiaries were given assistance, this means that 6.6
million or 37% of the targeted 18 million low-income families still have not
gotten anything.
IBON said that government’s laggard and militaristic response to the pandemic has left millions of Filipino families struggling to meet their basic needs. Emergency subsidies during the lockdown are not enough. The government should ensure that all families needing assistance are given sufficient support not just to recover from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 lockdown but also to survive the economic crisis that has set in.
4Ps – Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program; DOLE –
Department of Labor and Employment; CAMP – COVID-19 Adjustment Measures
Program; TUPAD – Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers
program; PUV – public utility vehicle; TNVS – transport network vehicle
services
Duterte’s attacks vs NPA meant to cover up COVID failure, corruption—Sison
Sison said it is convenient for Duterte to scapegoat and attack the NPA to deflect attention to the government’s failures on containing the virus and to deliver food and cash assistance, mass testing and medical treatment to the people. “At the same time, he has used Covid-19 as the reason for grabbing emergency powers, the immediate amount of more than 375 billion pesos and the license to realign the 2020 budget,” Sison said.
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Oil tax hike insensitive and will make poor Filipinos suffer more
Research group IBON said that raising taxes on imported oil
products will push prices up and burden many poor households already struggling
with jobs and income losses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The group said that
government should instead look to better sources of response funds such as
taxing the super-rich.
The Duterte administration recently issued an executive
order increasing taxes on imported crude oil and refined petroleum products to
10 percent. This is supposed to fund government’s COVID-19 response.
IBON said this oil tax increase will ultimately be passed
onto consumers, especially the poor, through higher prices. Some 18.9 million
working people and their families are already dealing with mass unemployment,
income losses and delayed and insufficient social amelioration.
The oil tax hike comes on top of additional oil excise taxes
already from the government’s regressive Tax Reform for Acceleration and
Inclusion (TRAIN) program. The TRAIN law hiked oil excise taxes by Php6 per
liter of diesel, Php5.65 per liter of gasoline, Php5 per liter of kerosene, and
Php3 per kilogram of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
The additional oil tax will make socially sensitive products
more expensive as well as increase the general price level. Instead of pursuing
this grossly insensitive revenue measure, IBON said that government should
instead impose a wealth tax on the country’s super-rich.
The Philippines’ 50 richest have Php4.1 trillion in combined wealth, which is more than what the poorest 71 million Filipinos own put together, the group said. A tax of 1% on wealth above Php1 billion, another 2% above Php2 billion, and another 3% above Php3 billion will raise Php236.7 billion from these 50 richest individuals alone.
The wealthy can well afford to pay more taxes and this will not have any effect at all on their already extremely high standards of living, said IBON. Tax revenues from this can then be prioritized towards fighting the COVID-19 crisis and providing sufficient social amelioration for poor and vulnerable Filipinos.
During ECQ, citizens lead initiatives to supplement govt’s delayed services
With the ECQ already extended twice, Luzon-wide until April 30 and the NCR and select provinces until May 15, fears over people’s livelihood and survival have surfaced. The viability of citizens’ initiatives has also been questioned. How would organizations cope if a third extension will be announced in the coming days?
Prisoners are already dying from COVID-19, free political prisoners now! —Karapatan
As the Supreme Court deliberates on the petition for the humanitarian release of prisoners today, human rights alliance Karapatan sounded alarm over the possible underreporting of deaths of inmates as the group reiterated its urgent demand to decongest jails by granting temporary liberty for vulnerable prisoners, including political prisoners, especially the sick and elderly with the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country’s detention facilities.