War on “the Probinsyano”: Will ABS-CBN Be Nationalized? Or Will Lopez Be Forced Out in Favor of a Political Favorite?
The leadership’s thrust to muzzle, repress or subjugate press freedom escalates. This time the administration is picking on a highly rated fiction series as a means to exercise controls over the industry.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Saturday denounced the portrayal of policemen in the popular TV series “Ang Probinsyano” and threatened to sue the show’s producers.
“I am dismayed at how ‘Ang Probinsyano’ depicts the [Philippine National Police]. They are intentionally sending a wrong message, which is demoralizing the ranks of the PNP,” Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said in a statement.
The administration is taking various measures to stop the show.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has ordered all its units to stop allowing the teleserye “Ang Probinsyano” from using their personnel, equipment, and facilities, following the show’s alleged negative portrayal of the agency.
“All units, offices, and personnel are advised to immediately refrain from assisting, to withdraw their support to the production of the said teleserye in terms of PNP resources like patrol cars, firearms, personnel, venues, and other items and gadgets being used in the teleserye,” Police Community Relations Director Eduardo Garado said in a memorandum dated Friday, Nov. 16, 2018.
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Friday expressed dismay over a popular police drama's portrayal of the country's police force.
DILG Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said the government may look into possible legal action against ABS-CBN's "Ang Probinsyano" if the show does not change its plot anytime soon.
"We will seriously consider filing legal action and imposing sanctions including the prohibition on the use of PNP uniforms, properties and even using the acronym of the organization (PNP) if "Ang Probinsyano" continues with their grossly unfair and inaccurate portrayal of our police force," Malaya said in a statement Friday.
A week back, the Philippine President threatened the non-renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise
President Rodrigo Duterte slammed TV network ABS-CBN anew, saying he would object to the renewal of its franchise.
In a speech Thursday during the ceremonial distribution of Certificates of Land Ownership Award to agrarian reform beneficiaries in Malay, Aklan, the President went on a tirade against the network and its chairman emeritus Gabby Lopez, saying they were thieves.
ABS-CBN's franchise is up for renewal in 2020, or two years before the end of Duterte's six-year term.
"Alam mo yung ginawa ng mga p*****g i*a kayo, ikaw Gabby. Inuna mo pa yung advertisement ni
[Translation: You know what you sons of b*****s did, you Gabby . You went ahead and showed Trillanes' advertisement. Children said, Duterte is a killer. There was an injunction in the law which said that was not allowed because it involved children. And yet you went ahead with the show and made it public.]
The administration has painted this to be an election issue. It could be, but it could be more.
Isn’t it a coincidence that the assault on Probinsyano occurred just as ABS-CBN reported a sharp drop in net income growth?
Media giant ABS-CBN Corp. saw earnings drop in the nine months through September this year as revenue was relatively flat while costs increased.
From January to September 2018, ABS-CBN posted a net income of P1.48 billion, down almost 35 percent. Total revenue slid by 0.1 percent to P29.5 billion.
Advertising revenues, comprising 50.45% of the firm’s overall gross revenues, have contracted for two straight years (-2.83% in 2018, 16.42% in 2017).
The other major component of ABS-CBN’s revenues, the sale of services, which took up a 41.5% share of the total, have hardly been growing at all (+.72% 2018, +5.36% in 2017).
And because of the rapidly shrinking net income, ABS borrowed Php 7.8 billion over the period, as reported by its 3Q 17Q. Total debt now stands now at Php 28.25 billion or 96% of its 9-month revenues!
ABS-CBN’s fundamentals have decayed from mostly changes in market preferences. How much more when politics forces the issue?
Mr. Duterte’s recent actions against other media institutions critical of his administration provide a blueprint of the fate of ABS-CBN
Mr. Duterte laid siege on the Prietos of the Inquirer, forcing the latter to sell their stake in it to a crony in November 2017.
But the Prieto’s exit from the Inquirer hasn’t appeased Mr. Duterte. Not only has the Prietos been charged with tax evasion on their Dunkin Donuts franchise, but Mr. Duterte has also revived his plunder threat against them.
Accused by Mr. Duterte of peddling fake news, tax evasion case has been leveled against Rappler officials a week back. A year back, because Mr. Duterte charged Rappler as having been owned by Americans, the SEC revoked the media outfit’s incorporation papers, a ruling which the Court of Appeals upheld.
Such accounts bring us back to the misfortunes of the Probinsyano.
Do you know the likely effect of the closure of the Probinsyano to ABS-CBN?
Here is a clue…
"The Probinsyano" is one of the principal (if not the biggest) profit centers of ABS-CBN’s, unfortunately, declining revenue and income stream.
That said, should the show be taken off the air or have its popular plot vitiated, the debilitation of ABS-CBN will only accelerate!
Then what?
Will ABS-CBN be nationalized?
Or will the Lopez be forced out in place of whom?
Or, will ABS-CBN be added to the collection of trophies of a political favorite granted by the patron’s unrelenting conquest of the domestic economy?
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