What a time to be a Filipino and journalist. There is an ongoing global crisis of pandemic proportions, but our leaders are more keen to shut critics.
Who cares about rising COVID19 positives? Shut those journalists and independent media!
#DefendPressFreedom #YesToABSCBNFranchise

Today’s #ABSCBNHearing is another ‘gladiator’ moment. The arena is the @HouseofRepsPH. The wild animals are Marcoleta, Defensor, Remulla, et al or “MarDeR,” as @jnery_newsstand puts it. The condemned are the Lopez family & 11k employees.
#DefendPressFreedom
#YesToABSCBNFranchise

In the days and hours before today’s 1pm #ABSCBNHearing at the @HouseofRepsPH, I found myself cleaning the house. Like, really scrubbing dirt and putting stuff in proper places. Very therapeutic, esp. amid the craziness and misplaced priorities amid #COVID19 in Philippines.

This is likely the last, and the most important, of the 12 sessions of #ABSCBNhearing at the @HouseofRepsPH. Lawmakers will focus on the alleged media bias in the Lopez family-led network's coverage of the 2016 elex, which brought Duterte to power.

Running almost 45 minutes late now, the #ABSCBNHearing that's supposed to start at 1pm is yet to begin. So far, we see Alan Peter Cayetano, House Speaker, a staunch ally and former runningmate of Duterte, speaking to the ABS-CBN officials.

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We see more lawmakers wearing masks and other protective gears today more than in previous #ABSCBNFranchiseRenewal #ABSCBNhearing, a visual reminder we are in the middle of the #COVID19 pandemic.
Earlier, @HouseofRepsPH reported its 10th case of COVID-19.

Rep. Claudine Bautista, who stance has been anti-ABS-CBN in the past, asserts "This ( #ABSCBNHearing) is not a show." She requests for "sobriety" from both sides, and to "temper their passions and respect" each other.

House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano is not attending today's #ABSCBNHearing bec he didn't want to influence the discussion, he said accdg to the committee chair. Cayetano has expressed disgust vs the network, w/c aired, during the 2016 campaign, ex-Sen. Trillanes' ad vs Cayetano.

"Please don't attack us personally, esp. in social media," says committee hearing chair, echoing request of Rep. Defensor for the public not to be "biased." He enumerated hundreds of thousands of views and reach of posts "bashing" lawmakers against #ABSCBNFranchiseRenewal.

Rep. Boying Remulla, who has been blatantly against #ABSCBNFranchiseRenewal in past hearings, seems to be feeling the heat. He says he has gone to the NBI to request help in going after the "organized" efforts to ruin "his person."