An ABS-CBN utility vehicle in front of the network's broadcast tower. Photo: news.abs-cbn.com hilippine President Rodrigo Duterte appears to have successfully distanced himself from the ABS-CBN closure brouhaha and hopes to come out unscathed whatever its outcome. He told the nation that he was leaving it up to members of Congress, for them to decide "as conscience dictates," the matter of ABS-CBN's franchise renewal. The Lower House, unfortunately—or maybe by design—missed the May 4 deadline to renew the broadcaster's franchise. The House instead instructed the NTC (National Telecommunications Commission) to grant ABS-CBN provisional authority to operate while they (Congress) worked on the franchise renewal process. And so the stage was set just the way some people wanted it. Here is the conundrum faced by those who wanted the broadcasting giant gone. The only way to find out if ABS-CBN enjoyed overwhelming public support was to shut them down. However, the shutdown must be easily reversible if things get out of hand. Enter, Solicitor General Calida, who, in a 14-page letter dated April 30, signed by him and six assistant solicitors general, told the NTC they should order ABS-CBN stop operating. A May 6 article, Mike Navallo of ABS-CBN News noted that the letter even "threatened NTC commissioners with graft" a charge that "Calida himself is facing" before the Ombudsman for, " allegedly owning security agencies with contracts with government offices." NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba, and Deputy Commissioners Delilah F. Deles, and Edgardo V. Cabarios, recipients of Calida's letter, compiled. With a cease and desist order in place operate, ABS-CBN, the country's largest broadcaster, shut down their operations on May 5. So where we are today? We are now at the point where we wait and see what happens. Will there be widespread discontent, and street rallies demanding that ABS-CBN re-open? If public anger breaches a certain level, the Duterte administration, can quickly step in and order the NTC to let ABS-CBN resume operations. All those who advocated for ABS-CBN's closure will simply do an about-face, and instead lay the blame on an overzealous solicitor general, and throw him "under the bus." Crisis averted. However, if the public outcry is weak, tolerable, or even tapers-off over time, ABS-CBN's franchise renewal can fall by the wayside. Then, new dynamics come into play: Who can we line up to take over? How can we make the most of this unprecedented opportunity? Can the Chinese be included? So many questions, so little time. Anyway, let the good times roll. Sadly, events like this happen more often than we realize. But keep in mind that the public can have a say in this matter if they want to. They can make it known to the powers that be that they are not happy with what is happening to ABS-CBN. If they say it loud enough, everyone in government will be forced to listen. It would be nice if things could go back to the way they were before all this started. But regardless of whether ABS-CBN re-opens again or not, we all know why this happened in the first place. Published 5/11/2020