MANILA — The House Committee on Legislative Franchises plans to start in January 2024 the deliberations on House Bill 9710, which seeks to revoke the franchise of Swara Sug Media Corporation operating under the business name Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI).

• House panel lifts detention of SMNI hosts Badoy, Celiz

The measure’s author, 1-RIDER Party List Representative Ramon Gutierrez, said he saw certain provisions of SMNI’s franchise violated when he attended the panel hearings on the resolution urging the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to suspend the network’s operations.

But SMNI’s legal officer Mark Tolentino denied these allegations.

"Doon sa Section 4, the responsibility to the public… I think we’ve established enough that there is a pattern towards misinformation that they’re reporting... May corporate issues sila wherein most blatant of which is the difference in the reporting sa SEC (Securities and Exchange) and dito sa House (of Representatives),” Gutierrez said.

• Lawmaker wants SMNI franchise revoked

“Walang violation. ‘Yon ang allegation nila so kailangan nilang iprove yan... We believe that there is no intentional false information… Certain inaccuracy still protected by the freedom of the press and the freedom of expression,” Tolentino asserted.

Committee Chairperson and Paranaque 2nd District Representative Gus Tambunting said the panel will also discuss the allegations of sex trafficking and abuse against Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, who was once the ultimate beneficial owner of SMNI.

Last year, lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc filed House Resolution 644 urging the Committees on Women and Gender and on the Welfare of Children to investigate the said allegations against Quiboloy.

“We have to consider that also,” Tambunting said.

“We can ask questions particular sa ownership tapos saan, paano nai-involve ang SMNI, mayroon nga ba, talaga nga bang may ganong involvement, may mga ebidensya ba on that track?” Gabriela Party List Representative Arlene Brosas, who authored the resolution, added.

But SMNI’s lawyer said the issue does not fall within the jurisdiction of the House Committee on Legislative Franchises.

“Irrelevant ‘yun. Kasi wala naman silang jurisdiction about that. Ang jurisdiction ng franchise committee is only related sa franchise... ‘Pag ginawa nila ‘yan another grave abuse of discretion,” Tolentino explained.

If the resolution urging the NTC to suspend SMNI’s operations hurdled the House of Representatives, some lawmakers believe the bill seeking to revoke the network’s franchise also has a good chance, at least on the committee level.

“If everything has presented and they are able to defend themselves doon sa unang resolusyon and yun pa rin ang argumento nila, malamang, the vote will also be the same,” Tambunting said.

“In the committee level… I would say we do have the numbers perhaps for revocation,” Gutierrez added.

Should the lower house pass the measure, it will still need the nod of the Senate, and must not be vetoed by the President, in order to be implemented.

Upon release from detention at the House of Representatives on Wednesday night, SMNI host Jeffrey “Ka Eric” Celiz denied revealing to Tambunting the name of his source of erroneous information on the alleged P1.8 billion travel expenses of House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

But Tambunting stood by his earlier statement, adding that he had a witness when Celiz disclosed his source’s name, and that the identity of the source has been verified.

• House committee OKs resolution urging NTC to suspend SMNI ops

“Story niya ‘yun. I did not reveal any names,” Celiz told the media Wednesday night.

“Alam ng Diyos kung sino ang nagsasabi ng totoo, at mayroon tayong mga witness. There was somebody beside me who heard it… And we have verified the person. He is indeed an employee of the Senate,” Tambunting said.

He, however, noted that his committee will no longer invite Celiz’s source to its hearings, and that it is up to the Senate to decide whether it will investigate the matter.

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