Angelica Panganiban breaks silence on ABS-CBN shutdown, employees’ layoff
MANILA, Philippines — “Tapos na ang panahon para matakot. (The time of fear has ended).”
So said Angelica Panganiban on Friday, a week after a House of Representatives panel junked the franchise application bid of her network, ABS-CBN.
In a series of tweets, Panganiban said that she had been silent for some time because she could not put into words how she felt about the Kapamilya Network’s shutdown.
“Nanahimik dahil hindi kayang buuin ng salita ang nararamdaman ko, Galit, takot, pangangamba,” Panganiban said.
(I was silent for so long because I couldn’t put into words how I felt. Anger, fear, anxiousness.)
Nanahimik dahil hindi kayang buuin ng salita ang nararamdaman ko. Galit, takot, pangangamba. Ilang buwan nang nag iisip paano na ang kasamahan namin sa trabaho. Ang pamilya nila. At dumating na ang araw na napakahirap tanggapin.
— Angelica Panganiban (@angelica_114) July 17, 2020
“Ilang buwan nang nag iisip paano na ang kasamahan namin sa trabaho. Ang pamilya nila,” she added, referring to the network’s 11,000 employees who now face possible loss of livelihood. “At dumating na ang araw na napakahirap tanggapin.”
(I’ve worried for the welfare of our co-workers. And now the time has come for the most painful part.)
Tratuhin niyo naman kaming mga tao. Kaming lahat na nawalan ng trabaho. Nawalan ng tahanan. Paano niyo kayang sikmurain na pag tawanan ang kapwa ninyo pilipino na nawalan ng kabuhayan? Pilipino sa kapwa pilipino na ang naglalaban laban. Tama pa ba yon?
— Angelica Panganiban (@angelica_114) July 17, 2020
On July 10, the House Committee on Legislative Franchises junked ABS-CBN’s franchise bid, as seventy lawmakers voted to adopt the technical working group’s report recommending the denial of the network’s franchise application.
Days after, ABS-CBN said that it will begin retrenching workers by end of August, as well as cease operating some of its businesses.
Panganiban then slammed the lawmakers who voted to deny the network a fresh franchise:
“Serbisyo para sa bayan ang dapat na inuuna ng mambabatas natin,” she said. “Sa ginawa nila, sarili nila ang inuna nila.”
(Service to the public should have been their priority. With what they did, they thought of themselves first.)
Serbisyo para sa bayan ang dapat na inuuna ng mambabatas natin. Sa ginawa nila, sarili nila ang inuna nila. Sa totoo lang, hindi po namin responsibilidad ang mga empleyado na nawalan ng trabaho. Pero nandito kami. Nagsasalita, para sa kanila. Bakit? Kasi siguro yun ang makatao.
— Angelica Panganiban (@angelica_114) July 17, 2020
“Paano niyo kayang sikmurain na pag tawanan ang kapwa ninyo Pilipino na nawalan ng kabuhayan?” she further questioned.
(How do you have the guts to laugh at your fellowmen who lost their jobs.)
The actress also urged to the lawmakers: “Tratuhin niyo naman kaming mga tao. Kaming lahat na nawalan ng trabaho.”
(Treat us like people; us who lost our jobs.)
“Hindi namin ikakamatay ang masasakit ninyong salita laban sa amin,” she said in her last tweet. “Pero, ikakamatay ng marami sa kasamahan ko at ng mga pamilya nila ang gutom na mararanasan nila sa mga darating na araw.”
(We won’t die from the harsh words thrown at us. But our co-workers and their families will die from hunger that they will experience in the coming days.)
Hindi namin ikakamatay ang masasakit ninyong salita laban sa amin. Pero, ikakamatay ng marami sa kasamahan ko at ng mga pamilya nila ang gutom na mararanasan nila sa mga darating na araw. Tapos na ang panahon para matakot.
— Angelica Panganiban (@angelica_114) July 17, 2020
