House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano speaks with ABS-CBN Chairman Mark Lopez, COO for Broadcast Cory Vidanes, and President & CEO Carlo Katigbak at the House of Representatives on July 6, 2020. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News #ABSCBNfranchise
Dumper PTDA Party-list Representative Claudine Diana Bautista makes a manifestation: This is not a show but a function of our democratic process. #ABSCBNfranchise
Bautista: Marami po akong kaibigan sa entertainment industry at sa ABS-CBN; nirerespeto nila ang opinyon ko bilang mambabatas at nirerespeto ko ang opinyon nila. #ABSCBNfranchise
Bautista: Respetuhin po natin ang House of Representatives. Sa mga taga-ABS-CBN, bigyan po natin ng respeto ang bulwagan kung saan dininig ang ating prangkisa. #ABSCBNfranchise
Rep. Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado says House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has decided not to personally testify in #ABSCBNfranchise hearings.
Alvarado: Sana ay huwag natin direktang atakihin ang mga miyembro ng komiteng ito lalo na sa social media o YouTube. #ABSCBNfranchise
Alvarado: Si Rep. Micaela Violago, na-bash. Sa isyu ng labor, hindi raw niya pinag-aralan. Pero alam ko, todo-review itong mga ito. Alam ko rin na may stance siya bilang isa sa mga author ng #ABSCBNfranchise bill.
Alvarado: Si Congressman Remulla, meron ding higit 100,000 views yung pamba-bash sa kanya sa kabila ng paghingi niya ng paumanhin. #ABSCBNfranchise
Rep. Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla: I have gone to the NBI to look into the matter of cyberbullying. #ABSCBNfranchise
Remulla: It seems that trolls farm were employed by some parties. #ABSCBNfranchise
Remulla: I have also asked the NBI to look into those who have lied to the committee. #ABSCBNfranchise
ABS-CBN Head of News Digital Lynda Jumilla and Head of Integrated News & Current Affairs Ging Reyes take their oath at the House hearing on the #ABSCBNfranchise.
Reyes: Every reporter, anchor, producer, editor in our newsroom knows that what we do is not just a job; it's a response to a call to tell the truth and work for a cause greater than ourselves. #ABSCBNfranchise
Reyes: Nais kong bigyan ng diin ang paglilingkod o serbisyo na sinisikap naming ihatid sa publiko -- ito 'yung journalism as public service. #ABSCBNfranchise
Reyes: The very nature of journalism, of truth-telling, is public service. Alam po yan ng bawat kasamahan namin na sumalubong sa bagyo, lindol, o pagsabog ng bulkan, para maihatid ang kuwento ng pinagdaraanang krisis ng mga mamamayan. #ABSCBNfranchise
Reyes: The shutdown has deprived more than 69 million Filipinos of the kind of information, analysis, commentary, & public service provided by ABS-CBN News. #ABSCBNfranchise
Reyes: It has cut off our reach such that 2 out of 3 viewers are unable to watch our news programs. #ABSCBNfranchise
Reyes: At the company level, we have an independent network ombudsman that receives, investigates, & makes recommendations on complaints against news personnel. #ABSCBNfranchise
Reyes: At the News Division level, we have a standards & practices unit that ensures that our journalists adhere to our own code of ethics.
Reyes: Since our return to air in 1986, we have endeavored to perform our duty as a news organization. As professional journalists, we strive to keep biases in check, and to report newsworthy events and issues in an accurate, fair, and balanced manner. #ABSCBNfranchise
Reyes: Pero tulad ng ibang bahagi ng aming kumpanya, hindi kami perpekto--wala pong news organization na perpekto. Gayunpaman, agad din po kaming umaaksyon para itama ang mga mali. #ABSCBNfranchise
Reyes: Our first loyalty is to citizens. Our primary obligation is to the truth. #ABSCBNfranchise
Rep. Mike Defensor air grievances against ABS-CBN Corporation's position paper. #ABSCBNfranchise
Defensor: Dito po sa position paper niyo, nakalagay, "in recent days, a suggestion has been put forward to allow ABS-CBN to operate, but without the news division on account of supposedly biased, one sided reporting. #ABSCBNfranchise
Defensor: Nakalagay dito, ''If carried out, not only would this render 1,000 news personnel jobless, it would send a strong & terrifying message that the press is being silenced. " #ABSCBNfranchise
Defensor: You can watch that interview. Ang sabi ko, habang naghi-hearing, sana mapayagn muna yung ibang shows. I take offense at ABS-CBN's position. Wala akong sinabi na sa pagbigay ng prangkisa niyo, wag lagyan ng News & Public Affairs. I never said that. #ABSCBNfranchise
Reyes: We note the sentiments of the honorable Congresman Defensor; wala naman po kaming masasabi pa. #ABSCBNfranchise
Rep. Carlos Zarate: This is a general statement of fact. I'm not sure if the honorable Defensor is alluded, but general statement of fact 'to ng mga ayaw sa ABS-CBN. If this is the statement of ABS-CBN, hindi natin pwede i-conclude na mali ang kanilang posisyon. #ABSCBNfranchise
ABS-CBN President & CEO Carlo Katigbak: Congressman Mike, sorry po, hindi po 'noted' yung sagot namin. I want to take responsibility for what was written in this position paper. I didn't realize it was an allusion to you. #ABSCBNfranchise
Katigbak: But please allow us to review the statement, and if it needs to be corrected we will submit a new statement with the permission of the committee. #ABSCBNfranchise
Former ABS-CBN news anchor Kata Inocencio: I am one of the millions of Filipinos saddened by the NTC's cease & desist order and the non-renewal of the #ABSCBNfranchise.
Inocencio: In the many years I worked with ABS-CBN under various capacities, we, and I speak for the News Division, have never been instructed to play favorites, nor to slant stories in favor or against anyone, nor to play partisan politics. #ABSCBNfranchise
Inocencio: I have known ABS-CBN News head Ging Reyes since 1986. She is a woman of integrity and practices the ethical standards of a broadcast journalist. She will never take wrongdoings sitting down. #ABSCBNfranchise
Inocencio: Under Bantay Bata, we rescued thousands of children and helped their families livelihood opportunities to start all over again. #ABSCBNfranchise
Inocencio: I left ABS-CBN in 2001 not because I was disgruntled, but because I was called to serve God in full-time Christian ministry. #ABSCBNfranchise
Inocencio: Our organization has been in a partnership with ABS-CBN for the airing of shows like Superbook. Because of this we were able to instill Godly values in our children. #ABSCBNfranchise
Inocencio: Because of this, we are in favor of the granting of the #ABSCBNfranchise.
KBP: Kung mayroong sinumang magreklamo against a station or personality, kailangan lang ipahatid ang reklamo sa KBP. Parang quasi-judicial body po ang KBP. Kung mapatunayang may paglabag ang station, bibigyan ng karampatang penalty. #ABSCBNfranchise
KBP: Sa ating broadcast code, maliwanag na iba ang treatment namin sa news. Kailangan maliwanag na factual, at hindi i-coconfuse ito sa commentaries. #ABSCBNfranchise
Former newscaster Jay Sonza, who left the broadcast industry in 2010, talked about instances of ABS-CBN's supposed biased reporting
Sonza denied calling Rep. Micaela Violago "bayaran" in any of his social media posts
National Artist Kidlat Tahimik: Hindi po ako narito para sa panig at depensa or prosecution of ABS-CBN. Bilang isang cultural worker, I think it's important na isama ang kultura ng Pilipino and the responsibilities of the broadcasting industry to our culture. #ABSCBNfranchise
Kidlat Tahimik: When commercial broadcasting has its own momentum, maybe there are questions on the impact of this kind of broadcasting sa Pilipino. #ABSCBNfranchise
Kidlat Tahimik: The bias or the skew that comes from the preponderance of advertising will change what the audience can see or what they cannot see. There are many films or programs that cannot be shown because they are not 'patok sa takilya'. #ABSCBNfranchise
Kidlat Tahimik: Is there no room on prime time TV to enrich and uplift audiences, to enlarge capacities of our children? #ABSCBNfranchise
Kidlat Tahimik: I think a lot of our programs are patterned after the programs na papatok, which come from abroad. Unless we take our storytelling with our cultural filters, we will remain copycats of foreign programming. Ang biktima is going to be the Filipino people.
Rep. Janette Garin: I am opposed to any depletion or removal of our co-Filipinos insofar as jobs that they have is concerned. However, we cannot simply use the cloak of protecting our employees without making sure that we stand by the mandate that was given to us
#ABSCBNfranchise
Rep. Garin, who was a former health chief, lamented erroneous airing of a report on a "flesh-eating bacteria" back in 2014
ABS-CBN News Head Ging Reyes: Hours after airing, that story was flagged and our attention was called. We immediate launched an investigation into the erroneous airing of the story and imposed severe disciplinary actions against our erring journalists at that time
Reyes: We also made sure that we tightened our editorial controls in terms of stories that were being covered and aired. I also sent the team to talk to provincial officials to see how our news division can help them in dealing with the impact of that story. #ABSCBNfranchise
Rep. Garin discussed "sensational" reporting on the Christine Silawan case which she claims led to wrongful detention of a teenager
#ABSCBNfranchise
Garin claims the late DOH Asec. Lyndon Lee-Suy was "victimized by impunity that sometimes happen in a very big corporation" when a 2-page letter accusing him of corruption and incompetence was read on the news #ABSCBNfranchise
Garin asks ABS-CBN for evidence, statement on deaths due to Dengvaxia vaccine

Reyes: We sought info from various sources, including experts, officials, previous and present, of the DOH. They gave us diverse opinions and observations about the vaccine, and how it was selected.
Reyes: I myself received feedback that some of our interviews with non-experts tended to alarm people. As a result of that, I acted on it immediately, and we dealt with the commentator as well. We also put an end to stories on Dengvaxia that tended to cause alarm.
Reyes says she is not familiar with reading of letter against Lee-Suy: However, we are a large news organization, and sometimes mistakes were made. We are far from perfect. We acknowledge that we make mistakes, and we try our best to correct them in a timely manner.
Garin: Sa dami-dami ng specialty organizations whose idea and inputs will not be biased. bakit po ba kailangan na ang inyong sasabihin sa larangan ng kalusugan ay nakatutok lang sa isang tao?
Garin: If you are indeed doing your research, no less than the World Health Organization have repeatedly told you that the vaccine (Dengvaxia) doesn't cause deaths. Bakit po ba paulit-ulit niyo pa ring ginagawa iyon?
Garin to ABS-CBN President and CEO Carlo Katigbak: Ginamit niyo po ba ang Dengvaxia para mapalapit kay Pangulong Duterte by hitting the previous administration?

Katigbak: Hindi po, Your Honor. #ABSCBNfranchise
Garin earlier heavily insinuated that "irresponsible journalism," particularly reportage on Dengvaxia, led to reemergence of polio among other infectious diseases because of low confidence on vaccines
#ABSCBNfranchise
Rep. Bienvenido Abante: Is ABS-CBN following the 2004 implementing rules and regulations of Presidential Decree No. 1986, as updated on October 2012, on TV classification, applying contemporary Filipino cultural values as standard? #ABSCBNfranchise
Abante: This committee hearing, I would even want to convince myself, is not about politics, but about law. My decision either to support the #ABSCBNfranchise or not will not be based on personalities, on politics, but must be based on law
Abante now presenting instances where ABS-CBN was flagged by MTRCB for inappropriate content
#ABSCBNfranchise
ABS-CBN: We comply with all the MTRCB program classifications that are recommended. Kung meron mang mga unresolved issues, we present our position to the adjudication committee of MTRCB and we come up with agreements and changes moving forward. #ABSCBNfranchise
ABS-CBN COO Cory Vidanes: Iisa po ang ating layunin na mapangalagaan ang moral and spiritual values ng pamilyang Pilipino. #ABSCBNfranchise
Vidanes: We tell stories that teach life lessons and our stories embody Filipino values like hard work, honesty, respect, resilience, and most of all, love for family, country and God. Dahil ang sentro ng aming kwento ay ang pamilyang Filipino #ABSCBNfranchise
Vidanes: We have continued to work on improving our content through the years. There's no intention to serve trash dahil mahal namin ang aming audience. #ABSCBNfranchise
Vidanes: It has never been our intention to destroy any person, to hurt any family. #ABSCBNfranchise
Abante: Dapat magkaroon tayo ng self-regulation, not just because the MTRCB says so. #ABSCBNfranchise
Vidanes: When there are slips, we make sure we deal with it immediately and everybody in our team can attest to it po. #ABSCBNfranchise
Vidanes: Sana po imbis na specific scenes lang ang makita natin, sana ma-appreciate natin yung kabuuan ng programa at yung nadadala at nadudulot niyang pag-asa at inspirasyon sa aming manonood
#ABSCBNfranchise
Abante asks MTRCB: Why is it that you're only warning our television networks after airing what we may say are violations of the rules?

MTRCB: MTRCB requires the network to submit an episode of their program, and then it is reviewed by board members. #ABSCBNfranchise
MTRCB: If ever the committee finds the material submitted is for PG, the succeeding episodes of that program for the next 13 weeks should carry and conform with the PG parameters. #ABSCBNfranchise
MTRCB: We only review one sample episode. The network, for the next 13 weeks, would exercise self-regulation making sure that the succeeding episodes will conform to the rating given based on the sample episode reviewed by the board. #ABSCBNfranchise
Abante: Should there be stricter guidelines on television, different from movies?

MTRCB: It is a different set of parameters, yes.
Abante: If ever we are going to give you a 25-year franchise, would there be changes in your programming?

Vidanes: Yes, Your Honor. #ABSCBNfranchise
Rep. Sol Aragones asks KBP: Paano ninyo ilalarawan ang ABS-CBN bilang broadcasting company na miyembro ninyo?

KBP: Ang ABS-CBN has been a member of good standing, very active sila sa many committees, they are part of policy-making. #ABSCBNfranchise
Rep. Abraham Tolentino: Nais ko lamang ipahatid, maaaring personal o parochial ang aking manifestation, pero ito ay magpapatunay na bias, para sa akin, ang ABS-CBN. Naranasan kong personal, 2013, mahirap lumaban na ang kalaban mo ay taga-ABS-CBN. #ABSCBNfranchise
Tolentino: Okay lang ang i-criticize. That's freedom of the press. Ang problema, tayong mga biktima, hindi makaganti, hindi makasagot. Wala tayong time sumagot.
ABS-CBN President and CEO Carlo Katigbak: I would like to make a public commitment that any public official may be given airtime on ABS-CBN to express their side on any issue that is being raised against them. That is a commitment by the owners, by the management.
Katigbak: We are instructing our organization to please take note of this instruction.
Rep. France Castro: Ano po ba sa tingin ninyo ang ibig sabihin ng biased reporting, as defined by your organization?

KBP: Sa ating broadcast code, maliwanag na nabanggit na sa mga news, straight reporting lang. Sa commentary programs, baka doon lumabas ang biased reporting.
KBP: When there is a controversial issue, you have to give equal opportunity for both sides to be heard. Kailangan kapag kinuha ang isang side ng isang part of the argument, kailangan bigyan ng equal opportunity and equal importance yung kabilang parte.
KBP: We adhere to the laws of the land; iyon ang unang sinusunod natin sa self-regulation.
Rep. Gabriel Bordado: With all the allegations laid out before us, we still go back to the most important issue-- that the broadcasting company is guilty of biased reporting. But can journalism be truly and completely free of bias? #ABSCBNfranchise
Bordado: As human beings, our way of thinking, perceiving, our understanding of the world are inherently influenced by the kind of culture, environment, and society we grew up in. These factors affect how we come to our decisions. #ABSCBNfranchise
Bordado: The American Press Institute recognizes the inevitability of bias in journalism, stating that in the right circumstance, bias need not be a bad thing. It can make information more understandable, lending humanity to facts and even prompting to right a wrong.
Bordado: It is therefore important for a journalist to not only acknowledge its existence but also to learn how to manage it through remaining objective in testing data and materials so as not to let their biases undermine the accuracy of their work. #ABSCBNfranchise
Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla questions how ABS-CBN covered its own franchise application
#ABSCBNfranchise
ABS-CBN news chief Ging Reyes: Malawakan po talaga ang naging coverage namin sa franchise hearings. Unang una dahil historic po ito... Sinisiguro ko po sa inyo, apat halos ang news teams na nakabantay sa hearings.
#ABSCBNfranchise
Reyes: Sa loob ng TV Patrol po, ilang beses po namin inilalabas ang highlights ng hearings at lagi pong naroroon ang akusasyon laban sa ABS-CBN at ang sagot. So andoon po ang lahat ang pinakamahahalagang bahagi na natatalakay sa ating hearings.
#ABSCBNfranchise
Remulla: Ang sinasabi niyo po totally fair ang inyong coverage ng #ABSCBNfranchise, na lahat ng nangyare dito, inilabas niyo talaga?

Reyes: Yes, Your Honor. Kayo po ay laging naroon sa aming pagbabalita kahit na po ang inyong maraming posisyon ay hindi pabor sa ABS-CBN
Remulla questions issue of press freedom.

Reyes: Naniniwala kami na ang issue ng press freedom ay dala, o naging epekto, ng CDO na ipinatupad ng NTC noong May 5, Your Honor. #ABSCBNfranchise
Remulla: Meron ba kayong prangkisa na ihahrap sa akin na pwedeng gamitin para kayo ay mag-broadcaast? Kapag kayo ay itinigil ba, press freedom na agad ang issue?

Reyes: Alam ko naman ho na may iba pang issue, gayunman, hindi rin natin maikakaila na nagkaroon ng chilling effect.
Remulla: Kung makita ng committee na kayo ay nagkaroon ng pagkukulang at hindi pa kayo mabigyan ng prangkisa? Ito ba ay press freedom issue?

Reyes: Naninindigan po ako na magiging kabahagi niyan ang isyu ng malayang pamamahayag, Your Honor
#ABSCBNfranchise
Remulla: Kapag mabigyan kayo ng prangkisa, walang isyu ng press freedom. Kapag di kayo nabigyan ng prangkisa, masama kami dahil nag-violate kami ng press freedom? Yoon po ang blackmail niyo sa 'min?

Reyes: I am not blackmailing this honorable body
#ABSCBNfranchise
Remulla: Ano ho ang tawag niyo doon, kasi naririnig ko na agad na kung di kayo mabigyan ng prangkisa, babanatan niyo kami. Ganoon ho yon?

Reyes: No, Your Honor. Hindi po namin kayo babanatan. Sasabihin lang ho natin kung ano ang magiging outcome ng hearings ng Kongreso
Reyes: Yung tungkol po sa pag-aalipusta ng tao sa gobyerno, hindi po yan ang aming trabaho. Kung magkataon lang po na hindi maganda ang aming coverage sa ibang opisyal, ito po ay dahil sa factual basis na nakikita ng aming mamamahayag. We uncover wrong doing in many places
Remulla: Would you agree that the fourth estate, mass media, is probably more powerful than government itself?

Katigbak: I don't think we're more powerful, Your Honor. In fact, that's why we're here today, because I understand that our future is in the hands of the government.
Katigbak: In the last 11 hearings, napakinggan namin ang lahat ng sa tingin ng Kongreso ang mga pagkukulang ng ABS-CBN... Hindi rin kami arogante na hindi nakikinig sa mga sinasabi ninyo. Alam po namin na maraming kailangan ayusin, ireform sa ABS-CBN. (1/2)
Katigbak: Handa po kaming gawin lahat yan mabigyan lang ng pagkakataong ituloy ang operation ng ABS-CBN (2/2)
Remulla: To the extent na aamin kayo sa mga pagkakamaling nakikita ng komiteng ito. Aaminin niyo ba nagkamali kayo sa ilang bagay na di niyo dapat ginawa at talagang nakasama sa bansang ito?
Katigbak: Mayroon kaming tatanggapin na pagkukulang po, pero sinasabi po namin na wala kaming nilabag na batas
Remulla brings up a social media post last week which allegedly shows an ABS-CBN engineer turning off AMCARA signal after the NTC issued an alias cease and desist order
#ABSCBNfranchise
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