MANILA, Philippines — Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) on Thursday filed a petition asking the Court of Appeals to halt National Telecommunications Commission's (NTC) suspension order on the network’s television and radio operations.
In its petition, the network asked the appellate court to declare the NTC's suspension order “null and void" and be able to continue its operations.
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Lawyers Rolex Suplico and Mark Tolentino filed the petition on behalf of SMNI.
The network’s lawyers said that the NTC allegedly succumbed to the decision of the House of Representatives (HoR) which removed the agency’s “independence” as a part of the government’s executive department.
“Nainfluence sila ng HoR kasi gumagawa sila ng suspension ng walang due process dahil lang sa recommendation ng HoR…hindi pa tayo binibigyan ng pagkakataon,” Suplico was quoted in an interview with reporters as saying.
(They were influenced by the HoR because they issued suspension without due process and just based on the recommendation of the HoR.. we haven't been given a chance yet.)
On December 21, the NTC said that it decided to slap a 30-day suspension on SMNI, a network whose hosts are known for red-tagging, from airing in compliance with Resolution 189 approved by the HoR.
The resolution urges the NTC to temporarily halt the operations of Swara Sug Media Corporation, the parent company of SMNI, due to alleged breaches of the terms and conditions outlined in its franchise, as stipulated in Republic Act 11422.
The NTC also issued a show-cause order on Swara Sug asking it to submit its defense in writing within 15 days.
The resolution enumerates various infractions attributed to SMNI in its media operations. These accusations arose from claims by SMNI hosts Lorraine Badoy and Jeffrey Celiz, asserting that House Speaker Martin Romualdez incurred expenditures amounting to P1.8 billion on overseas travel from January to October 2023.
Tolentino also questioned why the entire network was implicated in the suspension even though only two of its shows are at “fault.”
“Dalawang programa ng SMNI ang nireklamo bakit yung buong network ay pinarusahan?,” Tolentino said in an interview with reporters.
(Two programs of SMNI were complained about, why was the entire network penalized?)
Tolentino referred to the programs suspended by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board on December 19 for allegedly airing content unfit for broadcast.
The shows referred to in the network owned by one of FBI most-wanted Apollo Quiboloy are "Gikan Sa Masa, Para Sa Masa," hosted by former President Rodrigo Duterte and Laban Kasama ang Bayan," hosted by Badoy and Celiz.
Duterte is currently facing grave threat charges after he issued death threats on live television last October and November against Rep. France Castro (ACT-Teachers).
Meanwhile, Badoy and Celiz alleged in their show that Romualdez has spent P1.8 billion in travels, which triggered a House probe that led to them being detained in the HoR after they were cited in contempt for their answers and demeanor.
Last week, two media groups, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), advocated caution over the moves of the HoR against SMNI.
Despite being allowed to feel “vindicated,” NUJP said that the tactics used against SMNI is still dangerous like before.
“The Union’s issues with SMNI aside, this suspension by the NTC is reminiscent of the previous administration’s attempts to weaponize the law and muzzle media,” the NUJP said in its December 21 statement.
The CMFR in its editorial, on the other hand, said that the HoR’s concern is mostly to protect Romauldez.
“The probe and the penalties imposed on Jeffrey (Celiz) and Lorraine Badoy have little to do with the values of civic discourse. The driving concern here was the defense of Martin Romualdez, or the show of such defense and support,” the media watchdog said.