St. Scholastica’s College – Manila demands respect for human rights in light of ABS-CBN shutdown

On May 5th, the National Telecommunications Commission issued a cease and desist order against ABS-CBN. It was issued on the basis of the expiration of its congressional franchise. The order effectively shut down the country’s largest TV network.

St. Scholastica’s College – Manila released an impassioned statement against the shutdown, calling it “more than just a closure of one of the oldest commercial television broadcasters in Asia or a freedom of speech and of the press issue.”

st scholastica manila statement abscbn

(Coco Martin enraged over ABS-CBN shutdown: “Tinatarantado ninyo ang mga pilipino!”)

They continue: “At an extraordinary time of global pandemics, erupting volcanoes, and fake news coupled with a government whose position is to be deciphered from misunderstood veils of hideous jokes, misogynistic and incoherent pronouncements established on a policy of ‘build, build, build’ yet whose sovereign scaffolding perilously rise on an incongruous battle cry of ‘kill, kill, kill’, the Sovereign Filipino People, more than ever, need to demand a respect for fundamental human and constitutional rights.”

To conclude, they call on all – the private sector and professional public servants – “to be vigilant and jealously protect the Rule of Law and basic due process.”

What do you think about this? 

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