The Philippines' leading broadcast company went off the air under government order Tuesday, triggering outrage over the loss of a key news provider during a global health crisis and allegations of targeting a presidential detractor.
ABS-CBN Corp. was ordered by the National Telecommunications Commission to cease its operations after their 25-year congressional franchise expired on Monday.
The request for a renewal of the network has been pending in Congress, which is dominated by allies of President Rodrigo Duterte, but proceedings were postponed, in part by a lockout due to the pandemic.
In what opposition lawmakers and activists have characterized as an assault on independent media, Duterte has repeatedly lashed out at ABS-CBN. The company has 10 days to respond and explain why the NTC shouldn't revoke the frequencies allocated to it, it added.
Since 2016, ABS-CBN has been criticized by Duterte, when he accused it of not airing his political campaign advertising.
The company's networks have also shed light on the president's brutal drug war, accusing the police force of killing thousands of drug users and traffickers. Duterte has also indicated that the family owners of ABS-CBN would sell the business to end his dispute with the network.
The NTC said the broadcaster could seek legal redress and could contest or appeal their request. Notwithstanding Senate Resolution No. 40 letter from the House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Franchises, Department of Justice guidelines, and NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba's sworn statement, ABS-CBN reported that the NTC did not grant it a temporary authority to operate as its franchise renewal awaited Congress approval.
Just before its main channel went dark, ABS-CBN Chairman Mark Lopez told viewers that "It is painful for us to be closed down, but it is also painful for the millions of our fellowmen who believe our service is valuable to them."
Company President Carlo Katigbak appealed to people to "feel, express and hear" their feelings about the closure for the sake of the network's more than 11,000 employees and millions of Filipinos who, he said, need the services of the network "particularly now in the worst of times of sickness and hunger."
Congressional legislators in the Philippines have argued that they have the exclusive right to decide on television franchises. Bills seeking the license renewal of ABS-CBN in 2019 were delayed, and were not debated. More recently, the House of Representatives has been unable to meet since March, and the escalation of the coronavirus crisis.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Stock Exchange suspended trading of common stocks and depositary receipts of ABS-CBN Corp. on Wednesday following the NTC's cease and desist order. The PSE said the trading suspension would be lifted Thursday, giving investors time to weigh their options.
