TV stations in the Philippines that were critical of President Rodrigo Duterte have not had their licences renewed which has caused immense controversy.
Anchor Dhobie de Guzman has been the face of a popular news show in the northern Philippines for more than a decade. Now the closure of his regional station – and dozens of others countrywide – has left him out of work.
He is among hundreds of journalists to lose their jobs at ABS-CBN as the broadcasting giant – a critic of Duterte – slashes its operations after advertising revenues were ravaged by the loss of its free-to-air licence in May. The closure of 53 regional television and radio stations that broadcast in six languages will deprive millions of Filipinos of their main source of local news and entertainment.
“It’s painful,” de Guzman, 43, said after presenting the final TV Patrol North Luzon in a studio 240km (150 miles) from the capital Manila. “You do your job responsibly, you do your share to change the life of ordinary people, then at the end of the day you lose your platform to do that.”
Congress last month rejected ABS-CBN’s application for a new 25-year franchise and a Supreme Court petition over the issue was dismissed.
ABS-CBN, which is owned by the wealthy Lopez family, has broadcast continuously since 1953 except between 1972 and 1986 when it was seized by dictator Ferdinand Marcos – who Duterte admires.
Duterte has a history of clashing with media outlets critical of his policies, including his controversial drug war that has killed thousands of people.
While he has denied any involvement in Congress’s decision to reject ABS-CBN’s application, he had previously pledged to block its licence renewal.
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