‘Natakot ako’, Kathryn Bernardo admits as she breaks silence on ABS-CBN shutdown

MANILA — Film superstar Kathryn Bernardo has admittedly kept silent amid the government shutdown of her home network ABS-CBN, for fear of being the target of incessant mudslinging like her colleagues who have previously spoken up on the issue.

But Bernardo, 24, on Wednesday finally broke her silence to join thousands protesting the broadcast closure of ABS-CBN, under the far-reaching #LabanKapamilya banner on social media.

In a video statement uploaded on Instagram, where she has over 12 million followers, Bernardo explained her prior hesitation to speak on her professional home of 17 years being forced to go black.

“Matagal ko po piniling manahimik. Bakit? Kasi kagaya po ng iba sa inyo, natakot po ako,” she said.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Kasi noong huling beses na ginamit ko ang platform ko sa usaping politika, hindi naging maganda ‘yung nangyari. Naging traumatic ‘yung experience ko noon. Kagaya po ng nararanasan ng ibang mga artista na nagsalita, ang daming pag-atake. Ang daming sinabi hindi lang sa akin, pati sa pamilya ko,” she said.

“Kaya sinabi ko po noon sa sarili ko, iyon na ‘yung huling beses na magsasalita ako sa ganoong usapin, kasi ayoko nang maulit ‘yun,” Bernardo said.

Bernardo’s last high-profile involvement in politics was in 2016, when she endorsed the presidential bid of Mar Roxas against now-president Rodrigo Duterte. She has since been cautious of addressing political topics.

Kathryn Bernardo and her onscreen and real-life partner Daniel Padilla inked fresh contracts with ABS-CBN as recently as January 2020. FILE/ABS-CBN News

“Pero ngayon, nandito ako kasi pakiramdam ko kailangan. Pakiramdam ko, kahit walang kasiguraduhan na maririnig ‘to, at least may ginawa ako. Pakiramdam ko, kailangan ko maging boses ng iba. Kaya nandito ako. Pinipili ko magsalita kasi nagpatong-patong na ‘yung mga dahilan,” she said.

For one, Bernardo explained she hopes to lend her voice to the 11,000 employees of ABS-CBN whose job security has been put at risk by the broadcast halt.

“Maaaring marami sa inyo, iniisip na maginhawa ‘yung buhay namin kumpara sa iba. Opo, pero hindi doon nagtatapos ‘yun. Mas may responsibilidad po kami na tumulong sa iba. Hindi ibig sabihin noon na hindi kami apektado sa nangyayari, kasi hindi namin kaya makita ‘yung mga tao na nahihirapan, na umiiyak, na hindi alam kung ano ang mangyayari sa kanila,” she said.

“Nandito po kami kasi responsibilidad namin makaramdam para maging boses ng mga taong hindi mapakinggan. Kasi kung hindi kami magsalita, sino’ng magsasalita para sa kanila?” Bernardo said.

Bernardo then brought up a scene from her most recent film, the record-breaking “Hello, Love, Goodbye,” where her domestic worker-character Joy utters the line, “Ang choice para lang sa may pera.”

“Noong isang buwan po akong namuhay kasama ang mga OFW sa Hong Kong, doon ko napatunayan, doon ko lalong nakita kung gaano kahirap ang buhay. Kaya nakakalungkot man isipin, totoo ‘yung sinabi nila, e — ang choice hindi para sa lahat, hindi lahat kasing suwerte natin. Nakakalungkot ‘yun. Tapos ngayon, iyong pagka shutdown ng ABS-CBN, sa ginawa nilang iyon, mas binawasan pa natin ‘yung pagpipilian ng mga kababayan natin,” she said.

ABS-CBN is a free-TV channel that reaches urban and rural homes nationwide, and, as Bernardo mentioned in her statement, is sometimes the only channel available to Filipinos in far-flung areas with limited access to other media services.

“Alam po natin na maraming lugar sa Pilipinas na ang tanging channel na meron sila, ang nasasagap lang nila ay ang ABS-CBN. Sa panahon po ngayon ng pandemya na kailangan natin ng impormasyon maya’t maya, alam natin kung gaano ka-importante ang news, ang pagkukuhanan ng impormasyon,” she said.

“Pero ngayon, nawala din iyon sa mga kababayan natin. So paano sila makakakuha ng update sa nangyayari sa mundo, sa Pilipinas?” Bernardo asked, referring to the coronavirus pandemic.

The global health crisis has meant wide-ranging lockdowns, forcing millions to stay indoors for months to avoid getting infected. Bernardo noted this as she highlighted the importance of entertainment for Filipinos at home.

“Sa hinaharap natin ngayon, alam natin kung gaano kahirap ang pinagdadaanan ng lahat. ‘Yung isa sa mga bagay na nagpapasaya sa kanila, ‘yung libangan nila sa panonood, pati iyon, naalis sa kanila. ‘Yung mapanood nila ‘yung paborito nilang teleserye, makakalimutan nila kahit paano ‘yung problema. Iyong libangan na ‘yun, napagkait na rin sa kanila,” she said.

“Ito ‘yung panahon na dapat wala tayong mapag-iwanan na Pilipino. Ito ‘yung panahon na dapat magtulong-tulong tayo,” Bernardo added.

In the face of non-stop “bashing” and the spread of disinformation, Bernardo went on to urge her followers to help other discern between facts and propaganda.

“Nananawagan ako sa mga tao na may access sa impormasyon, sana alamin natin kung ano ang nangyayari, alamin natin kung bakit namin pinaglalaban ‘to, kung bakit paulit-ulit naming sinasabi na walang nilabag na batas ang ABS-CBN. Tulungan niyo kami ipaintindi sa iba kung saan kami nanggagaling,” she said.

She also called on detractors of the network to be compassionate, and empathize with the situation of workers who stand to lose their jobs if the shutdown is prolonged, and those who have lost their source of entertainment and information.

“Sana matuto tayong makaramdam para sa 11,000 empleyado na nanganganib mawalan ng trabaho, matuto tayong makaramdam sa ilang milyong Pilipino na nawalan ng libreng access sa impormasyon at libangan,” she said.

Circling back to her character Joy’s line, Bernardo stressed: “Huwag na po natin palalain ang inequality. Ang choice, hindi lang ‘yan dapat sa may pera. Magtulungan tayo.”

Concluding her video statement, Bernardo addressed the youth and called them on to do similarly — confront their fear and voice their stand, as it’s their future that stands to be affected by today’s historic changes.

“Sa mga kabataan, sana huwag kayong matakot. Kasi kagaya niyo rin ako, natakot ako. Pero kung hindi kasi tayo magsasalita ngayon, sino? Tayo ‘yung magmamana ng Pilipinas, kaya may karapatan tayo,” she said.

When Bernardo uploaded her statement on Wednesday afternoon, the House of Representatives Committee of the Whole had just approved a bill that gives ABS-CBN provisional franchise until October 2020.

The interim license will “give both the House of Representatives and the Senate [time] to hear the issues being raised for and against the renewal, and assess, with complete impartiality and fairness, whether or not the network shall be granted a franchise for another 25 years.”

House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano estimated that by June — once the Senate and President Rodrigo Duterte approve the bill — ABS-CBN will be back on air.