Angelle De Leon
Actor Robin Padilla took to social media to gush about the reconciliation of President Rodrigo Duterte and media giant ABS-CBN.
In a Facebook post, the “Bad Boy” of Philippine cinema expressed his delight over reports that the President has accepted the apology of the network through ABS-CBN president and chief executive officer Carlo Katigbak.
Padilla thanked God and also expressed gratitude to Senator Christopher “Bong” Go for mediating between Duterte and the Kapamilya network.
“Ako’y nagpapasalamat muli sa Allah dahil natapos na ang personal at professional issue sa pagitan ni mayor PRRD (Duterte) at ng ABS-CBN,” the actor wrote.
“Ako’y buong puso na nagpapasalamat kay senator Bong Go dahil sa kanyang pagmamahal sa manggagawa ng ABS-CBN ay naiparating niya sa mahal na Pangulo ang public apology ni sir Carlo Katigbak,” he added.
Padilla, who is an ardent supporter of Duterte, believed that the “teleserye” drama between the President and ABS-CBN has finally ended.
“Alhamdulillah dito na po natatapos ang ating teleserye ng totoong buhay. In shaa Allah mag-umpisa na ang pagdinig ng mababa at mataas na kapulungan sa franchise renewal ng pinakamalaking network sa buong Pilipinas,” the actor said.
“May the Almighty God have mercy on us and may he bless us all with peace and wisdom. Amen,” he added.
https://www.facebook.com/218959868123862/posts/3134129699940183/
Katigbak issued an apology at a Senate committee hearing on Monday, February 24 after Go revealed the reasons the President was upset with the network.
Go said ABS-CBN has failed to air Duterte’s political ads worth P7 million and instead, put out “black propaganda” funded by then-senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
“We’re sorry if we offended the President, that is not the intention of the network,” Katigbak said.
On Wednesday, February 26, Duterte told reporters that he accepts the network’s apology.
“Nandiyan na ‘yan. Yes, I accept the apology,” the President said.
Duterte has been issuing threats not to renew the franchise of ABS-CBN since 2017.
ABS-CBN’s franchise is set to expire on May 4.
Padilla has earlier challenged ABS-CBN and GMA Network stars to show their contracts to the public so that everybody would see the supposed disparity between their salaries and those of the ordinary Kapamilya and Kapuso employees.
The actor’s rant came after several big stars of ABS-CBN and GMA network came out in support of ABS-CBN.
Padilla said if they want to correct the “system,” they should start by calling for fair salaries of the off cam workers in the entertainment industry rather than defending the rights of the network owners.
But contrary to the actor’s claims, all of these stars’ concerns were the more than 11,000 regular and non-regular employees of ABS-CBN, whose jobs will be endangered should the network fail to secure a franchise extension.
