A RESOLUTION calling on the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to suspend the operations of embattled Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) was adopted Tuesday evening by the House Committee on Legislative Franchises based on allegations that the media entity exceeded the privileges of its franchise.
The SMNI network operates under a franchise granted in August 2019 in favor of Swara Sug Media Corp under RA 11422.
The House franchise panel chaired by Parañaque City Rep. Gus Tambunting adopted House Resolution No. 1499, which cited alleged numerous violations of the terms and conditions of SMNI’s franchise, specifically allowing programs to air disinformation and red-tagging certain groups and individuals.
PBA Party-list Rep. Margarita Nograles, author of the resolution, said SMNI failed to employ caution in its exercise of the privilege to operate in an industry imbued with public interest.
Nograles noted that under its franchise, SMNI was cautioned that it has “the responsibility to the public not to use its station or facilities for the dissemination of deliberately false information or willful misrepresentation to the detriment of the public interest.”
“As we have heard in today’s (Tuesday) hearing, there are several instances where SMNI peddled fake news against certain public officials. They themselves are not denying these instances,” she pointed out.
Nograles framed the resolution as a collective responsibility of lawmakers to safeguard the public from false and malicious information.
She clarified that the move should not be construed as an attack on the freedom of the press but rather, a defense of the public’s right to accurate information.
“This is not an attack on the freedom of the press. Rather, we are defending the right of the people to have accurate and true reporting so that they can formulate honest opinions and thus contribute positively to society,” she said.
The approval of the Nograles resolution marked the conclusion of the franchise panel’s second hearing, which was aimed at investigating SMNI’s alleged violations.
The legislative inquiry stemmed from the privilege speech of House Deputy Majority Leader David Suarez debunking claims by the program hosts of SMNI’s “Laban Kasama Ang Bayan” that Speaker Martin Romualdez incurred P1.8 billion in travel expenses in just one year.
House secretary general Reginald Velasco, however, said the Office of the Speaker had only spent P4.3 million from January 2023 to October 2023 for foreign trips.
Also on Tuesday, the panel cited in contempt the program’s anchors Jeffrey Celiz, for repeatedly refusing to identify the supposed source who supplied him the bogus information on the Speaker’s travel expenses, and Lorraine Badoy-Partosa for not being forthright about the income they were drawing from airing the program.
Tambunting directed House Sergeant-at-Arms Napoleon Taas to enforce the committee’s detention order against both SMNI program hosts.
Still pending before the franchise committee are two other resolutions from the Makabayan bloc involving SMNI: one on alleged fake news peddling and baseless red-tagging of individuals, groups and organizations; and another on alleged fake news peddling, red-tagging, and grave threats against ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro by former President Rodrigo Duterte made during another SMNI program.
The resolution also questioned SMNI’s failure to secure prior approval from Congress before making alterations in its corporate structure.
While previous records identified Pastor Apollo Quiboloy as the beneficial owner and majority shareholder of SMNI as of 2021, the inquiry uncovered that his shares were reportedly distributed among other company officials.
This was contrary to the provisions of Section 10 of RA 11422 requiring SMNI, as the grantee, to first obtain clearance from Congress on any plan to modify its corporate structure.
