Shortly before President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his last State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, #IbalikAngABSCBN topped the Philippine trending list.
The president's allies in the House voted to kill the network's franchise bid on July 10, 2020, resulting in thousands losing jobs during the pandemic. Duterte previously accused the network of bias, claiming he was a "casualty of the Lopezes" during the 2016 elections.
In February, he reiterated his vow not to allow the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to grant the media giant a permit to operate. The Palace said Duterte had been "completely neutral" about the issue.
On Twitter, a netizen shared the list of lawmakers who rejected the ABS-CBN franchise bid. "A list of names to remember," he said.
Another netizen quoted author Dianna Hardy and tweeted "It only takes one voice, at the right pitch, to start an avalanche.”
ABS-CBN reporter Mike Navallo quoted veteran journalist John Nery, who said "everything comes to an end," something Filipinos should remember when they watch the SONA this Monday, Navallo said.
Some of the other comments read:
"to the young people out there: magpa rehistro. your vote matters."
"Break us a thousand times, will bounce back a million times stronger!"
"ABS-CBN is not just a network, it is our home."
Reportr is now on Quento. Download the app or visit the Quento website for more articles and videos from Reportr and your favorite websites.
