Marcoleta’s play vs ABS-CBN hidden deep within his shallow presentation

26 MAY 2020, in the time of Covid-19, ABS-CBN was finally given its time to present its case before the House of Representatives. In the joint hearing of the Franchise and Good Government Committees, ABS-CBN president Carlo Katigbak officially brought the rationale why it deserves to be given a franchise before the Lower House, reissuing what it has been saying all along: that the station has not broken any laws; paid its taxes dutifully; the closure of the station negatively affects 11,000 jobs; and deprives the public of its entertainment, news and community service. 

On the opposing side was Rodante D. Marcoleta, Representative of the SAGIP Partylist and Deputy Speaker, who let out his own litany of ABS-CBN sins including alleged illegal tax avoidance; unfair labor practices; and violation of the Constitution such as issues with former ABS-CBN president and chairman Gabby Lopez’s citizenship, and that the grant of a franchise is limited to only 50 years which he alleges the station has already passed.

ABS-CBN is confident that it can hurdle these allegations, having done so last February 2020 at the Senate with documents, legal precedents, testimonies and other hard evidence needed to defend itself and counter any wild accusation.

Marcoleta, on the other hand will be hard pressed to prove his allegations because – by his own admission – many of his charges stem from what’s going around in the “usap-usapan” or loose talk in social media and the internet.

But what Marcoleta is banking on is not that the Congressional hearings is a judicial process with strict rules of evidence and objective judges to weigh evidence and make rulings from these. The Congressional hearings are a political process, with 300 plus politicians with their own agendas and interests sitting in judgment.

Deep within Marcoleta’s presentation was the message: that each member of the House must be wary that given back its power, ABS-CBN will rise up and get back at you. Marcoleta paints a picture of a child’s supermarket tantrum, so you buy him that chocolate bar to appease him only to find out later, after the bar is consumed, that he will once again have a tantrum, this time for a toy car on the shelf.

Marcoleta knows this is what’s in every politician’s mind. It isn’t to say that all politicians are corrupt, wanting to hide that kickback or latest junket paid for by lobbyists or taxpayers’ money. But even the straightest, most serious, and hard-working public servant sometimes finds himself on the wrong end of the media’s attention. More often than not – either from ineptitude, laziness, or even coaxing from a rival politician – these politicians find themselves front and center of a controversy when there was supposed to be none. And by the time the truth comes out, the damage has been done.

It’s a real fear. A fear that Marcoleta was playing on, up his sleeve as he made his counter presentation.

ABS-CBN’s Katigbak touched on this in his own presentation, as if to reassure the politicians that the station is amenable to correct its past errors, reform questionable practices. Theirs is not a perfect company, he declared, but granted the privilege to continue with business they vow to work with the government and these political leaders for the common good.

Katigbak stopped short of saying that he will give these politicians a free pass. He cannot and will not, for that would defeat the whole purpose of a true and independent news and public affairs operation which makes up a big portion of his station. Improve its internal processes to ensure fairness and accuracy in its reporting, yes. But never acceding to bowing before corrupt practices. And definitely not giving up the responsibility to speak truth to power.

So how the 300 plus member House of Representatives will conduct itself over the next month or so will depend on their individual consciences weighed against their self and political interests. Some are more transparent than others, their motives and directions more apparent. That should be an interesting show to watch, given that most will opt to be indoors anyway.

One thing’s for sure: Marcoleta will be the thorn on ABS-CBN’s side all throughout these hearings. And why not? He is a member of the powerful Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) whose basic requirement of unquestioned obedience to that church and, most importantly, the church’s leadership is paramount. His political career hinges on that too, as his partylist SAGIP and in his previous congressional terms ALAGAD are acknowledged INC front organizations.

But more importantly, it’s payback time for the INC, for in its 2015 controversy for its alleged expulsion and imprisonment of some of its top members which media extensively covered. ABS-CBN was one of those media organizations, but apparently came out as the strongest due to its reach and popularity.