MANILA, Philippines — Actress Angel Locsin on Monday slammed Solicitor General Jose Calida and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), saying they would go down the history as those who “killed” ABS-CBN and affected the lives of many in the middle of a pandemic.
Locsin questioned how the people whose jobs were affected by the network’s closure would “heal as one” if they Calida and the NTC were the ones who “inflicted” the wound.
“To SolGen Calida, to NTC, how do you expect us to heal as one kung kayo po mismo ang susugat sa amin?” Locsin said in a video shared over her social media pages.
[To SolGen Calida, to NTC, how do you expect us to heal as one if you’re the one who wounded us?]
“Kahit ano pong degree niyo, talino, posisyon, achievements, hindi po iyon ang matatandaan ng tao. Ang matatandaan po nila, and you will go down in history, bilang kayo po ang taong pumatay sa ABS-CBN at dumuro sa napakaraming tao sa gitna ng pandemya,” she added.
[Whatever your degree, wisdom, position, achievements, that will not be remembered by the people. What they will remember, and you will go down in history, as the ones who killed ABS-CBN and threatened many people in the middle of a pandemic.]
ABS-CBN went off the air last week after the NTC ordered it to stop its broadcast operations after its franchise expired on May 4.
Prior to NTC’s issuance of a cease and desist order, Solicitor General Jose Calida warned the NTC against granting provisional authority to let ABS-CBN operate while its franchise renewal was pending in Congress.
‘Not against the government’
Despite her remarks, Locsin said she was not against the government but was only fighting for the network’s franchise renewal through a “fair” hearing in Congress.
“Lilinawin ko lang po na hindi ito laban against our government and I wish the President the best. Dahil hindi po natin malalampasan ang pandemyang ito kung wala po siya. Naniniwala po ako na dapat po sa panahon ngayon lalo ay magkaisa po tayo at magtulungan,” Locsin said.
[Let me just clarify that this is not against our government and I wish the President the best. That’s because we cannot overcome this pandemic without him. I believe that during these times, we should unite and help each other.]
“Mga ma’am at sir, we are not asking for VIP treatment. Hindi po yun. We are asking for a fair chance na yun naman po ang gusto ng Kongreso, na yun naman po ang gusto ng Senado. Tamang oras para sa tamang paglilitis,” she further said.
[We are not asking for VIP treatment. It’s not that. We are asking for a fair chance, which is what Congress and the Senate want. The right time for the right hearing.]
Should the network be given a franchise, Locsin said it should right its mistakes in its treatment of its workers.
“Yung mga irregular na matagal nang nagttrabaho sa ABS-CBN, iregular po natin, bigyan po natin ng tamang benepisyo, bigyan po natin ng magandang buhay yung mga tao,” she said.
[Those who are still irregular but have been working for a long time in ABS-CBN, let’s regularize them and give them the right benefits, let’s give them a better life.]
Locsin also mentioned dismissed DZMM radio host Jobert Sucaldito who lashed out at ABS-CBN for supposedly using its employees in addressing the franchise issue.
“Naniniwala po ako sir sa haba ng panahon na binigay niyo po sa industriyang ito, deserve niyo po ang second chance. Sir, tulungan ko po kayo dyan. Kakampi niyo po ako dyan,” Locsin said.
[I believe that with how long you are in this industry, you deserve a second chance. Sir, I will help you. I am with you.]
Sucaldito was suspended from dzMM, ABS-CBN’s radio station, over his “insensitive” remarks about actress Nadine Lustre.
/atm