HINDI umano ibinalik ng gobyerno ang ABS-CBN kundi kinuha ito ng may-ari.
Ito ang sinabi ni ABS-CBN vice chairman Augusto “Jake” Almeda Lopez sa pagdinig ng House committees on Legislative Franchise and on Good Government and Public Accountability.
“Hindi sinauli sa amin ng Marcos ang istasyon, nakuha namin sa aming sariling sikap kasama yung forces ni (Juan Ponce) Enrile at (Fidel) Ramos,” ani Lopez.
Si Lopez ay dating general manager ng ABS-CBN ng bawiin ng pamilya Lopez ang Channel 2 matapos ang EDSA Peoples Power 1.
“We went into arbitration because the desire of both parties – the Malacanang group and the Lopez group – that let us present this to a neutral body and let them be the one to resolve this problem,” ani Lopez.
Ipinagtanggol din ni Lopez ang pagbabayad ng gobyerno ng P97.5 milyon sa ABS-CBN dahil sa paggamit nito ng mga pasilidad ng ABS-CBN.
“’Yung P1.2 million (monthly payment) that is just a token amount. Bukod sa maliit na mallit yung sinulat namin, pumayag nalang kami. Kung anong gusto niyo, papayag na lang kami. Pero walang cash. Hindi sila magbabayad. Sabi namin, okay alam naman namin walang maibabayad ang Cory government, bagong bagong pasok lang,” dagdag pa ni Lopez.
Iginiit naman ni Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman na walang nagbabawal na batas ng ibalik ang ABS-CBN sa mga Lopez na bago pa man ang martial law ay siya ng nagmamay-ari nito.
“Since the Lopez family as majority owners of ABS-CBN is the aggrieved party, it stands to reason that it should be the one to be compensated for the illegal seizure of ABS-CBN during martial law and the short takeover of the same by the Ramos-Enrile forces in the aftermath of the EDSA People Power revolution, which latter brief takeover was subsequently permitted by the Lopez family only for the duration of the crisis or emergency,” dagdag pa ni Lopez.
Mayroon din umanong mga legal order na aprubado ng Office of the President at Order ng Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG).