Sharon Cuneta (L) and Jennylyn Mercado. Images: Instagram/@reallysharoncuneta, @mercadojenny
Sharon Cuneta expressed her gratitude for Jennylyn Mercado who has supported and defended ABS-CBN workers who lost jobs, after the network’s bid for a franchise renewal was denied by Congress.
“Mabuti ka pa at ibang mga Kapuso, nakikiramay sa lungkot at pagluluksa naming mga Kapamilya,” Cuneta said on her Instagram page yesterday, July 18.
(It’s good how you and your fellow Kapuso [artists] are sympathizing with the grief of us Kapamilya [employees].)
She also included a post from ABS-CBN News quoting Mercado’s response to a netizen telling her to “move on” from the denial of ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal.
“Sa [i]ndustriyang ito, iisang pamilya at puso lang naman meron tayong lahat,” the Megastar added. “Salamat sa pakikiisa mo, ninyo sa amin.”
(In this industry, we all only have one family and heart. Thank you for standing in solidarity with us.)
Cuneta hopes that Mercado’s other fellow GMA artists also sympathize with the ABS-CBN employees amid the network’s shutdown. The Megastar pointed out as well how it hurts to see others celebrating the denial of the media giant’s franchise renewal.
After pointing out how it hurts to see others celebrating the franchise denial and shutdown, she emphasized the situation of the 11,000 workers who are now unemployed. Cuneta explained that each of them have family members affected too by the loss of their jobs.
Cuneta then likened herself and her fellow Kapamilya employees to those who were suddenly attacked in Pearl Harbor during World War II.
“Sa loob ng [dalawang] buwan, bigla na lang ‘binomba’ ang bahay namin at sa pagtanggal sa trabaho ng marami – ngayon pa – sa gitna ng krisis at pandemya – paghahanapin ninyo ng ibang trabaho – parang halos pinatay niyo na rin ang kabuhayan ng napakaraming pamilya,” she said.
(In the span of two months, our home was suddenly “bombed” and the loss of jobs — especially now, in the middle of a crisis and pandemic, you want them looking for new jobs — it’s like you killed the livelihood of so many families.)
Focus on COVID-19
Cuneta later questioned the priorities of the government, citing that the response to the COVID-19 pandemic should be handled first while there is still no vaccine for the disease. She noted that changing the name of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport also should not be a priority and used as a distraction.
“Tama na muna ang pag-iisip ng kung ano o sino pa ang puedeng gamiting pantakip ng tunay na dapat sinosolusyunan ngayon,” she added.
(Enough with the thinking of whatever or whoever else can be used to cover up what is really supposed to be fixed now.)
Cuneta then stressed that the Philippines has yet to beat COVID-19. She also mentioned that it is funny to see how others are insisting otherwise but they later backpedal on their remarks.
“Kasi hindi nagsisinungaling ang datos at numero ng mga dumadami pang kaso,” she said.”Please po, BAYAN MUNA.”
(Because the data and numbers of the increasing [COVID-19] cases are not lies. Please, [put the] country first.)
Health secretary Francisco Duque III recently declared the country’s COVID-19 infection curve flattened as of April, only to retract his own statement later, saying the curve was not flattened but “bent.” JB
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