Davao solon seeks suspension of SMNI operations

Antonio L. Colina IV

December 5, 2023
1:22 pm

hrep4933 20230703 162502 — PBA Partylist Representative Margarita “Migs” Ignacia B. Nograles. Source: House of Representatives’ Press and Public Affairs Bureau

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 5 December) – Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Partylist Representative Margarita “Migs” Ignacia B. Nograles has urged the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to suspend the operations of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) for allegedly spreading “false information” and for “red-tagging.”

In a three-page House Resolution (HR) 1499 filed on Monday, Nograles said the network operated by Swara Sug Media Corporation, an entity affiliated with Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy, allegedly violated the “terms and conditions” of its franchise under Republic Act 11422 (An act renewing for another twenty-five years the franchise granted to Swara Sug Media Corp under Republic Act No. 8122, entitled “An act granting the Swara Sug Media Corporation of the Philippines a franchise to construct, install, operate and maintain for commercial purposes radio and television broadcasting stations in the Philippines and for other purposes.”)

The law was passed in 2019 during the administration of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, which renewed the franchise of the network for another 25 years.

Nograles said that the law mandated SMNI “not to use its stations or facilities for the deliberate dissemination of false information or willful misrepresentation to the detriment of the public interest.”

Several complaints have been submitted to the Committee on Legislative Franchise against SMNI, including HR 230 and HR 1428 filed on August 12, 2022 and November 6, 2023, respectively, for “fake news peddling and baseless red-tagging of individuals, groups, and organizations,” the resolution said.

HR 1428 condemned the attacks hurled against ACT Teachers Partylist Representative France L.

Castro by former President Duterte during his television program “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” over SMNI.

SMNI was also criticized for the claims made by Jeffrey “Ka Eric” Celiz, one of the program hosts of “Laban Kasama ng Bayan,” that Speaker Ferdinand Martin G.

Romualdez allegedly spent P1.8 billion for his travel expenses.

Nograles’ resolution said that Celiz later retracted and admitted during a committee hearing that the source of his information about the travel expenses of Romualdez was “wrong” and “not validated.

”

“With the admission that the source of information was wrong and that the information was not vetted, in addition to the various complaints filed against the SMNI for fake news peddling and red-tagging, it is clear that SMNI violated its responsibility to the public not to use its stations or facilities for the deliberate dissemination of false information or willful misrepresentation to the detriment of the public interest,” it said. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

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