Critics slam Duterte’s move to axe franchise of Philippine broadcaster ABS-CBN

In a Supreme Court filing, the Duterte government accused ABS-CBN of greedy business practices and breaching ownership laws

The case has thrown a spotlight on the use of the quo warranto petition – a legal mechanism favoured by the administration to ‘silence critics’, observers say

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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s contempt for journalists is well known. Photo: AP

Published: 7:00pm, 11 Feb 2020Updated: 10:01pm, 12 Feb 2020

In a move swiftly condemned by critics, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s government this week sought to void the franchise of media giant ABS-CBN Corp over claims of legal violations – a bid described as yet another “attack on the free press” by a firebrand leader with a well-documented contempt for journalists.

On Monday, the administration filed a petition at the Supreme Court, accusing the network of violating ownership laws and of “highly abusive practices” such as charging viewership fees.

The official who filed the case, solicitor-general Jose Calida, said in a statement that the authorities wanted “to put an end to what we discovered to be highly abusive practices of ABS-CBN benefiting a greedy few at the expense of millions of its loyal subscribers”.

But according to critics, the issue is both personal and political. The president has openly harboured a grudge against the broadcaster: three years ago, Duterte said he was furious because he had paid for several TV ad spots on ABS-CBN during the 2016 presidential campaign, but the network did not air them. Accusing the station of “swindling”, he also slammed it for running news stories about his alleged secret bank accounts.

Protesters chant slogans during a rally in Manila on February 10, 2020. Photo: AP

Duterte said then he would block the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise, which expires this March.