The past few days saw a turn of the tide in Philippine show business with a number of celebrities speaking up about the cease-and-desist order that shut down ABS-CBN. Despite public outcry and questions about the constitutionality of the decision, the network has been forced to resort to broadcasting online. While House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano conceded to the pressure and filed a bill to grant the station a provisional license, he still denies the claim that it’s an issue of press freedom, saying: “The fact that ABS-CBN is still able to broadcast its content even after its franchise has been peremptorily terminated shows that this issue is not, nor has it ever been about silencing media nor curtailing the freedom of the press.”

Back to Kathryn. The actress was calm, earnest and well-spoken in her video. You can sense that she put a lot of thought into what she wanted to say about the matter. She started by saying, “Alam ko pong marami sa inyong may alam na matagal ko pong piniling manahimik. Bakit? Kasi kagaya po ng iba sa inyo, natakot po ako. Kasi nung huling beses na ginamit ko ang platform ko sa usaping pulitika, di naging maganda yung nangyari. Naging traumatic po yung experience ko nun.” Back in 2016, she got flak for endorsing then-presidential candidate Mar Roxas. She shared how she got attacked on social media and how bashers also came for her family. “Sinabi ko po nun sa sarili ko yun na yung huling beses na magsasalita ako sa ganung usapin kasi ayoko na maulit yun,” she adds.

Bernardo revealed why she decided to stand by her political opinions once again. She boldly states, “Pero ngayon, nandito po ako kasi pakiramdam ko kailangan. Pakiramdam ko, kahit wala mang kasiguraduhan na marinig to, atleast may ginawa ako. Pakiramdam ko kailangan ko maging boses ng iba. Kaya andito po ako. Pinipili kong magsalita kasi nagpatung-patong na yung mga dahilan.”

She opens up about what she believes is the true responsibility of celebrities and those who have a large platform. “Mas may responsibilidad po kami na tumulong sa iba. Hindi po ibig sabihin nun na hindi kami apektado sa nangyayari. Kasi hindi namin kayang makita yung mga tao na nahihirapan, na umiiyak, na hindi alam kung ano nang mangyayari sa kanila. Kaya nandito po kami kasi responsibilidad naming makaramdam,” she says.

Bernardo looked back on her experience while shooting for the country’s highest grossing film, “Hello, Love, Goodbye.” In the movie, she played the role of a a struggling Overseas Filipino Worker. She says, “Meron po akong isang linya dun sa movie na nagawa ko nung huli. Ang sinabi dun, ‘Ang choice para lang sa may pera.’ Nung isang buwan po akong namuhay kasama ang mga OFWs sa Hong Kong, dun ko po napatunayan at doon ko lalong nakit akung gaano kahirap ang buhay. Kaya nakakalungkot man isipin, totoo yung sinabi nila eh—na ang choice hindi para sa lahat.”

“Eto yung panahon na dapat wala tayong mapagiwanan na Pilipino. Eto yung panahon na dapat magtulung-tulong tayo. Kaya nananawagan ako sa mga tao na may access sa impormasyon, sana alamin natin kung ano yung nangyayari,” implores the actress.

“Sana matuto tayong makaramdam, makaramdam para sa 11,000 empleyado na nawalan ng trabaho. Matuto tayong makaramdam sa ilang milyong Pilipino na nawalan ng libreng access sa impormasyon at libangan. Wag na po nating palalain ang inequality.”

She’s well aware that some will doubt her intentions for breaking her silence. She listed down the reasons why the shutdown isn’t just a personal matter for her. “Ngayon po baka sinasabi niyo na pinipili nating magsalita kasi pangalawang tahanan na namin ang apektado. Pero hindi lang po kasi yun yung issue. Una, isyu rin po ito ng labor issue. Kasi ilang libo ang empleyado na nawalan ng trabaho kahit na wala naman silang nilabag na batas. Issue rin po ito ng public health. Kasi yung impormasyon na pinagkukunan nila para protektahan yung mga sarili nila nawala. At lastly, issue rin po ito ng press freedom kasi nawalan sila ng paraan para magpahayag,” she says.

She concluded with her request from the government, the general public and the youth: “Kaya nanawagan po ako sa mga kinauukulan na sana bigyan natin ng atensyon yung mas kailangan. Yun pung mas nakakabuti para sa mas nakararami. Tayong mga Pilipino sana matuto tayong manindigan sa kung anong tama. Sana magamit natin ang boses natin para mapahayag nang responsable kung ano yung mga saloobin natin. At sa mga kabataan, sana wag kayong matakot kasi kagaya niyo rin ako. Takot ako. Pero kung hindi kasi tayo magsasalita ngayon, sino? Tayo yung magmamana ng Pilipinas. May karapatan tayo.”

We’re loving this fiercer and bolder Kathryn. She’s shaping up to be the (blockbuster) queen that we deserve. We’re hoping that more Filipino stars will follow in her footsteps. It’s high time we all demand for accountability and take part in political discourse.