By Richa Noriega  National Artist for Visual Arts Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera underscored the importance of press freedom and freedom of expression amid the “critical times,” as he expressed his support to the renewal of ABS CBN’s franchise. In a Facebook post on Thursday, Cabrera said the quarantine teaches a lot about the value of freedom. “We need both press freedom and freedom of expression at these critical times. We need credible and critical information to better understand what’s happening and to navigate our way forward,” he said. Cabrera also wrote a message to his fellow artists: “In a free and democratic society, all artists should be unrestrained in the making of their art. We should be free to decide what we will create and how we will create it. Those who feel threatened by the power of art should not be allowed to repress human creativity. We have the right to create work that pushes boundaries and promotes discussion of controversial topics. We need the freedom to offend without fear.” He emphasized that freedom enables the nation to confront “the poverty, treason and rising tyranny that make the pandemic much worse than it already is.” “Only in an atmosphere of freedom can the artist and the journalist give their best,” he said. Cabrera was named National Artist for Visual Arts in 2006 and has won several major awards in a career spanning four decades. The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issued a cease and desist order against ABS-CBN after its legislative franchise expired on May 4.