THIS month 18 years ago, my mother passed away. She died of breast cancer.
My growing-up years was spent in what was then rural Antipolo and my father was a city lawyer. My mom then, along with Yaya Ising (who I thank the Lord everyday for still being with us, stronger than a work horse), raised us four children and looked over our humble home.
Life in the province was much simpler and kinder compared to frenzied Manila life. My hometown Antipolo was a mountain town. It is now a beautiful city. In my childhood, I enjoyed running, frolicking in wild abandon along the river that was connected to the Hinulugang Taktak. I practiced singing and dancing to Madonna in the company of the small ripples of water and the frogs who would watch.
My mom wanted me to go to La Salle, because she felt it was the best school. She wanted to give me the best education despite our family’s limited financial resources.
My mom would go into odd little buy-and-sell “rackets,” such as reselling corned beef to our neighbors. She was really a rock. She was one of the first people who showed up in Edsa in 1986. She was dauntless, telling us that she is there everyday to teach us to value our freedom and to fight for what is right. However, when my mom was diagnosed with cancer while I was in high school and I saw her deteriorate, I became a lost boy.
Because of her illness, life became even more difficult but my mom would always tell me to gring my teeth, clench my jaw and fight life adversities with bravado for her sake.
It was really hard losing her. She fought a magnificent battle but God had other plans for her. He needed more angels up there but the life lessons she taught me made me bounce back from the dark place I was in. I did everything to make her proud.
Last Tuesday, June 30, that harrowing feeling of losing someone precious to your life happened to me again. That was the day that the National Telecommunications Council (NTC) served its alias cease and desist order. This is in addition to the CDO earlier served to ABS-CBN to close its broadcasting operations, including its radio stations DZMM, S+A and MOR.
It’s painful. It’s illogical. It’s excruciating.
Just like the death of my mother.
ABS-CBN released a statement on June 30: “At 2:26 PM today, ABS-CBN received an alias cease and desist order from the National Telecommunications Commission [NTC] directing ABS-CBN to cease and desist from operating digital TV transmission in Metro Manila using Channel 43.
“While Channel 43 is not mentioned in NTC’s CDO of May 5, 2020, and it is ABS-CBN’s informed understanding that Channel 43 is not included in the CDO, digital TV transmission in Metro Manila using Channel 43 will cease tonight [June 30], consistent with the intent of the alias CDO.
“This means that viewers with TVPlus set-top boxes in Metro Manila will be unable to watch Teleradyo, Jeepney TV, Yey!, Asianovela Channel, CineMo, and KBO. ABS-CBN has a pending petition with the Supreme Court questioning the NTC’s CDO and hopes that such petition will be resolved soon in [ABS-CBN’s] favor so that it can resume broadcasting on both analog and digital platforms in the service of the Filipino.”
And then the next day on July 1, ABS-CBN also had to stop its digital transmission of the mentioned channels in all other areas outside Metro Manila while seeking clarification on the scope of the alias CDO.
ABS-CBN, has actually been like a mother to me. Throughout these years, I would voraciously watch their shows. I was informed, educated and entertained by them.
I would surreptitiously study them. I know all the on-cam and even some off-cam people as I would also watch the credits thinking that one day, I would breathe the same air as they did.
I took up Communication Arts in college and since my father didn’t support me after I declared I was gay (that’s another story worthy of an MMK episode), I was strapped for cash. Thanks to the kind soul that is Boy Abunda who took a chance on me, I gained enough experience and courage to apply in ABS-CBN.
Fourteen years later, here I am. My body may have sagged, my face has more wrinkles, but I still have enough resolve to bounce back like when my mother passed away. ABS-CBN may have limited reach now and everyone in the network may seem to be beaten and battered, myself included, but I always remember my mother when she was fighting her cancer—that she fought that evil, dreaded disease with all the courage she could muster and with enough dignity that would put any unfair and biased congressman to shame.
With her passion to fight what was right, I am sure my mother, if she were alive today, would be fighting along with me. To renew the franchise of ABS-CBN because she knows it is right.