DAKILANG LAHI: Anthony Castelo, President of Dakilang Lahi Foundation, aired an appeal over the weekend not to drag the name of Pres. Duterte in the ABS-CBN closure issue.
Castelo said the ABS-CBN closure was completely a legal issue. That in the absence of an approved franchise extension by Congress, plus a warning from Solicitor General Jose Calida, the National Telecommunications Commission acted accordingly.
“The President has shown graciousness by accepting ABS-CBN’s apology and left it to Congress which has the sole power to grant a franchise anyway,’’ Castelo said.
“Our President is a fair and reasonable person but he also follows the law,” he stressed.
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LEGAL ISSUE: The veteran singer admits that he has admired ABS-CBN for its quality programming through the years that gave him and other OPM artists the exposure early on in their careers. However, Castelo thinks the hateful remarks from media and showbiz colleagues like Noli de Castro, Karen Davila, Coco Martin and Vice Ganda, among others, against the administration, SolGen Calida and the NTC doesn’t help the company’s cause.
“I can relate to the stirring emotions going around. I truly sympathize with my showbiz friends,” Castelo said. “But no matter how one tries to justify it…sadly, some of our people’s desire for ABS-CBN’s continued broadcasting is not an issue of the station’s equity, the charity work it has done, or the possible jobs that may be lost – it is purely an issue of law… just like if your driver’s license is expired, you shouldn’t be driving in the streets because it is against the law.”
