Thread by @nujp

[Repost] LODI statement:
NO TIME TO MINCE WORDS

For us in the media and arts alliance LODI, this is not a time to mince words.

President Duterte openly wanted to punish ABS-CBN for some campaign-period “grievance”.

Like minions, the institutions of government took turns giving what the president wanted: the pro-Duterte supermajority in Congress slept on the franchise renewal bills until the franchise expired—

— the solicitor-general filed a quo warranto against the network, and the National Telecommunications Commission finally issued an order to shut down the network.

Duterte is finally happy. He has exacted his revenge at ABS-CBN.

Never mind the 11,000 ABS-CBN workers. Never mind press freedom. The only important thing for the Duterte administration is to make the president happy, even to the extent of abusing governmental powers.

We reject as disingenuous the notion peddled by Duterte’s apologists that the ABS-CBN shutdown does not mean the Philippines is less free, and that we should not worry that we still have other networks to choose from.

How can anyone credibly claim we are not less free when Duterte has closed a network and stopped all its shows? Where is freedom in that?

These same apologists are the same ones cheering the ABS-CBN shutdown as a shining display of Duterte’s power. “Look at how awesome our president is! he could shut down the country’s biggest network!”

What these weasels won’t admit is that Duterte actually abused his power in order to shut down ABS-CBN, and the aim is to scare the entire media not to cross swords with the lord and savior.

Indeed, with the president succeeding in shutting down ABS-CBN, we must ask: Who’s next?

ABS-CBN did not violate its expired franchise. ABS-CBN is compliant with all taxes and other obligations. There was only Duterte’s desire to punish ABS-CBN. This same treatment could befall any network.

Where is freedom when journalists and artists are under constant threat from a vindictive president willing and able to bend the law just to please himself?

We call on all journalists, artists, media workers and all freedom-loving Filipinos to stand with ABS-CBN. Now more than ever, let us defend our press freedom, right to information, and right to free expression against all forms of intimidation, threats and abuse of power.

This is not a time to mince words. Only a dictator can live in a world without ABS-CBN, without a free press and without human rights. ###

Bonifacio Ilagan
Joel Lamangan
Joel Saracho
Inday Varona Espina
Mae Paner
Tonyo Cruz
Lisa Ito
Concerned Artists of the Philippines
Photojournalist Center of the Philippines
College Editors Guild of the Philippines
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines
AlterMidya