‘An act of betrayal,’ Rappler says on closure order vs ABS-CBN

Below is the statement of Rappler on the cease and desist order issued by the National Telecommunications Commission against ABS-CBN on Tuesday, May 5.

Like a thief in the night, the National Telecommunications Commission issued a closure order against ABS-CBN despite assurances from its executive and legislative leaders that the media giant will continue to operate after its franchise lapses on May 4, 2020. 

This is an act of betrayal against the public that ABS-CBN serves, especially as the country faces a pandemic that no government can single-handedly address. It comes at a time when millions of Filipinos are left jobless by this crisis and need information that will help them navigate it.

Today, just a few days after World Press Freedom Day, thousands of ABS-CBN journalists and employees stand to lose their freedom to be in the service of the Filipino.

“For years, we’ve witnessed our democracy’s death by a thousand cuts,” said Rappler CEO and executive editor Maria Ressa. “This is a death knell and a call to action.”

We stand with ABS-CBN and all journalists who continue to shine the light and expose wrongdoing despite state-sponsored efforts to silence them.

The enemies of press freedom should never doubt this: Today more than ever, Filipino journalists are committed to hold the line. – Rappler.com