(Eagle News) – Media giant ABS-CBN Corporation signed off Tuesday night, at 7:52 p.m., after its TV Patrol news program, after it was served a cease and desist order by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on May 5, a day after its legislative franchise expired.
In a video statement, ABS CBN President and CEO Carlo Katigbak said the network is stopping its operations since the NTC did not issue a license for them to operate.
“Hindi po binigay ng National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) ang lisensya para sa patuloy na paglilingkod ang ABS-CBN kaya mawawala na po sa ere ang ating ABS CBN,” he said in his video statement aired on TV Patrol Tuesday night.
-ABS-CBN President asks public to let their voices be heard on network’s closure-
He then asked the public for support.
Katigbak called on their sympathizers to let their opinions be heard in consideration, he said, of the more than 11,000 ABS-CBN workers who would lose their jobs, and of the millions of people that the network is serving.
“Ngayon naman ay dumating ang araw na kami ang dumudulog at nanawagan sa inyo,” he said.
“Alang-alang po sa mahigit 11,000 nagtatrabaho sa ABS-CBN at sa kanilang mga pamilya na maapektuhan ang kabuhayan at maaarin mawalan ng trabaho, alang-alang po sa milyun-milyong Pilipino na kailangan ang serbisyo ng ABS-CBN lalung lalo na sa panahon ng pinakamatinding krisis sa Pilipinas at sa buong mundo, lalo na ngayon sa pinakamalalang panahon ng sakit at gutom, ipadama isaad at iparinig po natin ang ating nadarama sa pagsasara ng ating ABS CBN,” Katigbak said.
“Sa oras na ito, kami naman po ang humhingi ng intong pagdamay, Maraming salamat po mga kapamilya,” he ended as the network signed off.
Katigbak claimed that ABS-CBN did all it could, including fulfilling all the requirements needed for another legislative franchise.
Philippine Congress, however, failed to finish hearings on the various bills tabled for the ABS-CBN legislative franchise extension until the franchise eventually expired on May 4, 2020.
(Eagle News Service)
