Statement
July 1, 2020

The labor department denounces attempts by lawyers and officials of ABS CBN to misrepresent its position to deceive members of the House of Representatives in its bid to gain congressional approval for a new franchise.

We also take strong exceptions to claims that the department has found ABS CBN compliant with labor laws and standards, and that we approve of the seasonal work status for the broadcast firm’s program employees.

The facts bear us out. Our labor inspectors found violations of laws and standards by ABS CBN. And on account of those findings, the company took steps to correct those infractions.

It is therefore patently misleading to attribute to us the claim that ABS CBN is a compliant company. In fact, there are 67 pending cases against the company in the NLRC and the various courts.

We also warn the broadcast firm’s counsels against wrongfully presenting policy issuances of the department to the advantage of their client. The cited rule governing the employee-employer relationship in the broadcast industry 40 years ago, which is not aligned with the provisions of the Labor Code, does not anymore apply to date.

We also find most detestable the deliberate manner by which Policy Instruction No. 40 issued by the then Labor Minister in 1979 was volunteered to the House committee as basis for the work arrangement in ABS CBN. Misleading as it is, it conveniently leaves the impression that the policy was that of current Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III.

We are not letting this to pass.

Cuneta has been actively seeking out the man behind the threat, vowing to bring him to justice in successive social media posts.

The man, a certain Sonny Alcos, is identified as a “solid DDS,” or a loyal supporter of Duterte, in the viral post that Cuneta shared when she first exposed the threat.

Her statements against the rape threat, Cuneta said, have drawn the ire of Duterte’s followers, prompting her to clarify her warm ties with the president as well as his family.

“I’ve always been good, or at least I’ve tried separating politics from friendships and relationships,” she said in her live video.

Cuneta is the wife of opposition senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, and the daughter of the late former Pasay Mayor Pablo Cuneta.

“Ang trato sa akin ng Pangulo parang anak niya, ang tawag niya pa sa akin, ‘the singer of my life,’ tapos mahal ko si Inday Sara kasi maliit pa ‘yan Sharonian na ‘yan,” she said, referring to the president’s daughter and incumbent Davao City mayor.

Duterte, according to Cuneta, was also the one who convinced her brother, Chet, to run for Pasay mayor in 2019. Chet lost.

Cuneta then pointed out that despite Duterte publicly attacking Pangilinan in his speeches — at one point falsely claiming that the couple has separated — she has chosen time and again to be understanding.

Illustrating further examples of separating politics from her relationships, Cuneta recounted how she opted not to campaign for any presidential candidate in 2016.

She did not campaign for the late Miriam Defensor-Santiago, despite her being Cuneta’s “idol”; nor for Jejomar Binay, despite him being a family friend who even officiated her wedding with Pangilinan; nor for Duterte, despite their close relationship; nor for Mar Roxas, despite him being in the same ticket as Pangilinan.

“Ang gusto ko talagang maging presidente noon si Sen. Grace Poe. Isa pang ubod ng disente… Hindi ko siya makapanya noon dahil si Kiko was with the administration,” she said.

“I wanted Sen. Grace Poe to win, at alam ni Tatay (Duterte) ‘yun.”

Cuneta recalled that she did campaign for Robredo. She attested to Robredo and her late husband Jesse Robredo’s spotless record of public service in Bicol.

“I don’t know what’s happened to our country. I hope VP Leni runs for president next time, dahil hindi na rin naman makakatakbo si Tatay next time,” she said, noting the one-term limit for chief executives.

“Napakadisente,” she added, describing Robredo. “Nakakatakot na kasi… Ngayon lang ako naka-experience ng ganito.”

Cuneta admitted that even during her father’s term as Pasay mayor, she was mostly apolitical. What opened her eyes was the People Power revolution that toppled the Marcos regime, she said, because then she finally understood why a president shouldn’t be in power “forever.”

“Pagkatapos ng term ni Pangulong Duterte, sana talaga manalo si VP Leni kung tumakbo siya. Baka sakaling bumalik ang pagka disente ng karamihan sa atin.”