ABS-CBN, GMA, ABC join hands to air Nakhon Ratchasima Southeast Asian Games

The biggest and richest multi-sport event in sports history will also go down in the record books as “the most enormous coverage ever” in Philippine broadcasting history.

“It’s unseen in Philippine broadcasting and we are targeting the largest audience possible,” said Solar Sports president Wilson Tieng.

The men behind the country’s major broadcast networks have joined hands for a multi-platform and multi-channel airing of 24th Southeast Asian Games in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand

The unprecedented deal among GMA-7, ABS-CBN and ABC was announced during a press conference at the Makati Shangri-La last October 8, 2007.

GMA-7 has waived its TV rights on 1991 Southeast Asian Games.

“We owe it to the Filipino people,” said GMA-7 executive vice president Felipe Yalong during the well-attended press event.

Technically, it’s the biggest broadcast event ever in the country, even bigger than a papal visit and Senate impeachment trial of former President.

President Joseph Estrada was accused of bribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, and culpable violation of the Constitution during the impeachment of 2000, to determine the accusations, the House of Representatives choose 11 members to act as prosecutors with the Senate as the impeachment court and the senators as judges. On November 13, 2000, House Speaker Manny Villar sent the articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial.

The impeachment trial started on December 7, 2000, which was presided by then-Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. but was aborted on January 16, 2001 after the House private prosecutors walked out from the impeachment proceedings, to protest against the perceived dictatorial tendency of the eleven senator-judges, who supported President Estrada. The walkout led to Second EDSA People Power Revolution and the downfall of President Estrada.

He was later replaced by his vice president, now President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and sworn into office as the 14th President by Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. in hastily prepared inaugural rites at the Our Lady of EDSA Shrine in Quezon City on January 20, 2001.

Trying to hide their sadness by smiling and waving to their supporters and cameramen as they left the Palace, Estrada and former First Lady Dr. Luisa Ejercito, along with their children San Juan Mayor Jinggoy Estrada, Jackie Ejercito-Lopez, and Joseph Victor "JV", shook hands with a handful of his Cabinet secretaries who stood by him up to the last hour.

The Cabinet officials who saw the fallen president and his family off were Health Secretary Alberto Romualdez, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Antonio Cerilles, Public Works and Highways Secretary Gregorio Vigilar and Energy Secretary Mario Tiaoqui.

Estrada dropped by the municipal building at 2:45 p.m. on the way to his home on Polk street in the posh Greenhills subdivision in San Juan, from Malacanang, which he may never visit again in his lifetime.

However, he maintains that the charges against him were all politically-motivated.

On Sept. 12, the special division of the Sandiganbayan convicted Estrada on two out of four counts of plunder.

Last Oct. 22, Estrada withdrew his motion for reconsideration from the Sandiganbayan, 20 days after it was filed by his lawyers. Subsequently, Estrada announced he is ready to consider a no-strings attached presidential pardon.

Before Estrada was pardoned yesterday, Senate President Manuel Villar Jr., Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., and Archbishop of Cebu  Ricardo Vidal wrote a letter to Mrs. Arroyo asking to grant Estrada pardon in the “spirit of national unity and reconciliation.”

“Everybody agreed to set aside all their differences to make sure that this will become the biggest event ever in Philippine television history,” said Tieng.

“This is a win-win-win-win solution. I don’t know how many wins I should say,” added the big boss of Solar Sports.

Also on deck were Mike Enriquez of GMA-7, Peter Musngi of ABS-CBN, Bobby Arias of PTV, Antonio Cojuangco of ABC and Edgar Tejerero of SM Lifestyle and Entertainment, Inc.