It will of course be unfortunate if indeed ABS-CBN would be closed down. The President has the power to rally his minions not to extend its franchise. That would definitely send down shivers down the spine of all media outfits all over the land.
Though we cannot also deny the misuse of the power of the press by the big outfits every now and then.
The big businesses in this country entered the fray by bonding together, saying that the closure of ABS-CBN would undermine investor confidence in this country. This move was the offshoot not just of the threat to ABS-CBN. It started with the President’s rant against the owners of Philippine Daily Inquirer and then the Zobel de Ayalas. As PDu30 said, the Zobels might be the first billionaires to be jailed without bail upon the filing of charges against them for economic sabotage. They were insulted like shit.
So here we are now, the bonding together of the big businessmen in this country. But who are they kidding? They just had been enriching themselves without care for the future of this country, much less for the welfare of the less fortunate. Now they are on the receiving end. Putting this issue aside, will they be effective in their voicing out against the threat to close down ABS-CBN?
They might be being laughed at by the President. For what could they do if the President refuses to budge? Nothing much.
These people are big business people who are so afraid if their wealth or riches were threatened. They will not risk everything for some high principle, no matter how noble. They will think first of their material riches and possessions. The first time the President ranted against the Zobel de Ayalas on account of their water firm’s having won an arbitration case for the government to pay them billions of pesos, their first reaction was to surrender or capitulate.
They issued a statement that they will not execute the decision and that they are amenable to renegotiate the contract of their water firm with the government to remove any onerous provision. In short they were just thinking of their riches, not about principle, even if they were abused like they were shit.
They are the same with the other big businessmen we have around. All they care for is their humongous wealth. Nothing more. How unprincipled. How selfish.
So their bonding together? They will just be an inutile bunch.
While we are against the possibility of ABS-CBN’s closure, this matter is too serious to be left in the hands of selfish personalities who will just be laughed at.
Deep inside us, however, we have the feeling that ABS-CBN will go on. When that happens you can be sure that there was a deal arrived at. For unscrupulous politicians can even be more selfish than all the rest of us.**