Known for her boldness and candor, seasoned actress Angelica Panganiban aired her sentiments over the stoppage of ABS-CBN broadcast operations in the second part of the #LabanKapamilya campaign streamed live via Angel Locsin’s official Facebook page last Tuesday night, May 12.
She opened her hard-hitting statement by imparting how her adoptive family has showed her affection in spite of them not being consanguineous, and related it to how the network has unconditionally embraced her since kicking off her showbiz career as a child star in the 90s.
Then she went on to brazenly enumerate the issues that the government should be taking care of at present.
"Tandaan sana natin na hindi ABS-CBN ang kalaban ngayon,” she started off. “Ang issue ay free mass testing. Ang issue ay iyong pagbibigay ng ayuda para sa mas mga nangangailangan. Ang issue po ay ang pagiging handa ng ating healthcare system sa isang pandemiya. Ang issue ay kawalan ng trabaho ng milyon-milyong Pilipino. Ang issue ay kung saan kukuha ng pagkain ang bawat pamilya.”
The 33-year-old award-winning actress then reiterated, “Hindi po ABS-CBN ang kalaban. Virus ang kalaban. Iyan ang kailangan sugpuin, iyan ang kailangan nating sagutin."
As ABS-CBN’s shutting down in lieu of a health crisis deprives many Filipinos, particularly those who are living in secluded areas, of easy access to accurate and credible information, as well as of various sources of entertainment, Angelica argued that it’s an utter disservice to the people.
"Sa pagpapasara nila sa ating tahanan, hindi na po nila kayo binigyan ng kalayaang mamili dahil sila na po ang namili ng kung ano lang ang inyong dapat panoorin. Hindi po ito tama.
"Hindi po ito tama sa bansa natin na may demokrasya, sa bansa natin na dapat mayroon kalayaang mamili at makapagpahayag. Hindi po tayo papayag na iilang tao na lang ang magdidikta sa atin kung ano ang dapat nating panoorin at kung ano ang dapat nating pakinggan.
"Ipaglalaban natin ngayon iyong inyong karapatan at kalayaan na makapagpahayag ng inyong saloobin at sana po ganoon din po kayo sa amin," the Banana Sundae mainstay told the ardent supporters of ABS-CBN.