Former GMA Network employee posts an open letter to Rep. Rodante Marcoleta and Jesus Crispin Remulla

• Former GMA employee calls out Marcoleta and Remulla for allegedly using media labor issues for their own personal gain. 
• NTC issued cease and desist orders to ABS-CBN’s subsidiaries, Sky Cable and TV Plus. 

Bowe Cabaluna, a former GMA Network employee, posted an open letter addressed to Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta and Cavite Representative Jesus Crispin Reumilla.

Though Cabaluna did not directly mention his former workplace’s rival network, netizens found it quite clear that his letter is about ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal.

He asked Remulla and Marcoleta to not use media labor issues for their “personal” interests as it doesn’t only happen in the Kapamilya network but other channels as well.

“Dear Cong. Boying Remulla and Rep. Marcoleta, STOP using media labor issues just to further your personal interests. Ang isyu ng labor malpractice sa #BuhayMedia ay nangyayari rin sa ibang networks tulad ng TV5 at siyempre GMA News, GMA News TV,” he wrote.

The former GMA employee admitted that there was a time that they tried filing a case against the network as it refused to regularize them but it didn’t become an issue when GMA applied for franchise renewal.

“Nung nag-apply ang GMA-7 ng prangkisa, kinasuhan namin ang network dahil ayaw kaming kilalaning regular. Naging isyu ba ‘yun sa application ng network?
Hindi naman ‘di ba? We went to Congress pero ‘di pinansin ng mga kongresista ang aming mga reklamo. Tapos ngayon, labor advocates kayo bigla?”

Cabaluna added that if the congress is really concerned about media practitioners, they should’ve passed the pending bills that can positively affect the industry and its workers.

“Kung totoong concerned kayo sa mga manggagawa ng media, ipasa ninyo ang mga panukalang batas na matagal nang nakabinbin diyan sa Kongreso para maginhawaan naman ang mga taga-Buhay Media. By the way, ‘yung GMA-7 na binigyan ninyo ng prangkisa, ‘di pa rin nireregular ang mga media worker na ilang dekada nang nagtatrabaho doon. Pwe.”

Adding to the cease and desist order issued to ABS-CBN Corporation last May 5, the National Telecommunications Commission issued another order against the network’s subsidiary, Sky Cable Corporation, and its TV Plus channels.

“Upon the expiration of R.A. No. 7969, Sky Cable Corporation no longer has a valid and subsisting congressional franchise to install, operate, or maintain a Direct Broadcast Satellite Service,” the order read.

The company is also required to refund its subscribers of all the amounts representing unconsumed prepaid, deposits on subscriber equipment and devices, deposit or advance payment in monthly charges for postpaid subscribers.

The NTC also ordered the Kapamilya network to halt the operations of its digital television transmission through its TV Plus via Channel 43.