MANILA, May 6 (Reuters) - Philippine legislators pushed onWednesday to get the country's biggest broadcaster back on air,amid widespread shock and dismay over an order by the industryregulator for the station to cease operations after its 25-yearlicence expired.
Aides to President Rodrigo Duterte sought to distance himfrom Tuesday's move against ABS-CBN Corp
Celebrities, entertainers and fans expressed sorrow onsocial media and labour, business and media groups urgedintervention to spare thousands of jobs, protect free speech andguarantee access to vital public information amid thecoronavirus epidemic.
The National Telecommunications Commission's (NTC) decisionhas puzzled many lawmakers and commentators, promptingallegations by Duterte's critics that his allies are exploitinga strict lockdown and trying to intimidate the media using legaland regulatory processes.
ABS-CBN had no comment on Wednesday about what its next movewould be. Trading of its shares was suspended on Wednesday andits main rival GMA Network Inc
ABS-CBN, a 66-year-old entertainment and media conglomerate,employs nearly 7,000 people, operates 21 radio and 38 televisionstations nationwide and distributes online content.
It shut down most of its radio and TV stations on Tuesdayjust before 8 p.m., leaving only a few channels with separatelicences operating.
The NTC had in March indicated that ABS-CBN could remain onair pending its licence renewal by the lower house of Congress,which only returned from recess on Monday and has beencriticised for dragging its heels on the renewal.
There was no indication why the regulator changed itsstance, but the office of the solicitor-general said it hadcautioned the NTC against allowing ABS to broadcast without alicence. The NTC said on Wednesday it stood by its decision andthat ABS-CBN could seek a temporary restraining order from acourt
Rufus Rodriguez, a pro-Duterte congressman, said it waspointless asking the NTC to change its mind.
"We can't depend on the NTC anymore. We have to make sure inthis one month we are in session, we can give a provisionalfranchise," said Rodriguez, who filed a resolution on Wednesdayto get ABS-CBN an interim licence.
Senate President Vicente Sotto said that if the lower housefailed to do that, his chamber could get the job done.
"Bring it to the Senate, we will approve it!," he said onTwitter.
ABS-CBN has been on tenterhooks for several years because ofDuterte's repeated threats to thwart its renewal bid, his angerstemming from its failure to air some of his paid electioncampaign commercials, for which it recently apologised.
ABS-CBN shares have lost more than half their value duringDuterte's presidency, which began in 2016.
Duterte's legal counsel Salvador Panelo said anyone accusinghim of involvement was "barking up the wrong tree" becauseDuterte had forgiven ABS-CBN.
His spokesman, Harry Roque, said the president wanted hissupporters in Congress to know that he would not be upset ifthey backed ABS-CBN's licence renewal.
"He kept on reiterating in our conversation that he isneutral and to let his allies know that her will not hold itagainst them," Roque said.
Both were speaking on ANC, the cable news channel ofABS-CBN, which operates under a separate licence.
The hashtag #notoabscbnshutdown attracted more than 17,000posts on Instagram by Wednesday afternoon and 10,000 posts onTwitter under #abscbnsigningoff, trending third behind news onAmerican and Korean celebrities.
(Writing and additional reporting by Martin Petty; Editing byRaju Gopalakrishnan) ((martin.petty@tr.com; +63 918 938 8552))
