The Sword of Damocles ominously hangs again over freedom of the press and free speech.

TV5 and ABS-CBN have scuttled their joint venture agreement under the backdrop of tirades against the agreement from some legislators and the errant demand of the House of Representatives and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) that they should first approve the agreement.

Another victim of the termination is the viewing public for being deprived of the emergence of fair and healthy competition in the television and broadcast industry which could have been ushered in by the agreement.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN