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<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-8/ressa-and-abs-cbn.webp" alt="Ressa and ACS-CBN" />
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Congress did not suppress nor stop the journalists of ABS-CBN from exercising their press freedom. In fact, the very act of employees and executives of ABS-CBN denouncing the shutdown of the Lopez-owned network shows that they can exercise of press freedom. My gulay, why don't they look at themselves in the mirror?
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What sad is the fact that some sectors of media themselves have been denouncing the alleged suppression of press freedom with the denial of the renewal of the 25-year old franchise of the network. Prestigious sectors of the press themselves like the FOCAP or the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines and even well-known journalists who are advocates of press freedom have joined the fray in expressing their sympathy for the Lopez-owned network as an "assault on press freedom."
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In a commencement address at the University of the Philippines Mass Communications class, Ging Reyes, for instance, took advantage of the occasion in claiming that the denial of the 25-year franchise of ABS-CBN was part and parcel of a pattern to suppress press freedom in the Philippines. I don't blame her since she has to parrot what the Lopezes want their executives and employees have to say.
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What is even more sad than anything else is that whenever somebody is convicted for libel, for instance, like Maria Ressa of Rappler for committing cyberlibel, it's an assault of press freedom. Or, if Ressa were charged with tax evasion as she was, it's also an assault on press freedom. 
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<b>Source</b>
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Bad news, good news,  <a href="https://manilastandard.net/opinion/columns/to-the-point-by-emil-jurado/330725/bad-news-good-news.html" class="news_link" target="_blank" title="Source">Emil Jurado</a>, August 7, 2020, Manila Standard
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(We are unable to grant permission for any kind of reproduction of this article other than social media shares.  Please visit the source listed above to read the original article and for more information.)
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This so-called assault on press freedom is becoming a big joke!