SMNI challenges House allegations

Sonshine Media Network International's legal counsel, Mark Tolentino, challenged House lawmakers to prove their alleged proclaimed violations, a claim that put the network's franchise hanging in the balance.

Tolentino made the provocation in response to a recently filed measure, which seeks to revoke the legislative franchise granted to SMNI under Republic Act 11422, enacted in August 2019.

The petition is under House Bill 9710 filed by 1Rider Partylist Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez earlier this week owing to SMNI's breach of various provisions of its franchise, particularly Section 4.

SMNI, legally operating as Swara Sug Media Corporation, is using a 25-year franchise under RA 1142.

Lawmakers asserted that the SMNI infringed Sections 10, 11, especially 4 of the law, which mandates that the grantee shall not allow its stations "for the broadcasting of obscene or indecent language, speech, act, or scene; or for the dissemination of deliberately false information or willful misrepresentation."

"Knowing further that misinformation and misrepresentation can have serious implications, most especially in shaping public opinion, and thus create potential social and political divide, the operation of Swara Sug or SMNI is considered a threat to national security and stability as it continues to use its platform to disseminate unverified and untruthful statements, the swift passage of this measure is earnestly sought," the bill reads.

However, Tolentino vehemently denied such allegations.

"That's their allegation, so they have to prove it. We believe that there is no intentional false misinformation. We in the media sometimes make mistakes. Sometimes there is something called inaccuracy and that is stated in our Supreme Court decision: Freedom of press includes certain inaccuracy," Tolentino told reporters in a chance interview.

Last Tuesday, the House committee on legislative franchises ordered the release of Celiz and Badoy from the House premises following a week of detention that stemmed from their defiance and misbehavior during the panel's investigation into the SMNI's dissemination of false information against public officials, including Speaker Romualdez and other entities, in violation of their franchise.

To recall, Celiz and Badoy, on the network's "Laban Kasama Ang Bayan" aired on 27 November, alleged that Romualdez incurred a whopping P1.8 billion in travel expenses, an allegation debunked by Secretary-General Reginald Velasco citing official records.

Celiz, who previously tagged a male source from the Senate, eventually admitted that the information he obtained was erroneous and expressed remorse for any harm caused by their false statements.

Meanwhile, the panel will invite Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, whom the chairman, Paranaque Rep. Gus Tambunting, posits as the ultimate beneficial owner of SMNI, to attend the congressional inquiry in the next hearings, as

During the previous hearings, Tolentino told lawmakers that Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, is "not part of the corporate officers."

"He's just a blocktimer of SMNI. We consider him as a honorary chairman, but he's not part of the corporate officers, his name is not part of the corporate papers. He's not a stockholder of SMNI or Swara Sug Media Corporation," Tolentino claimed.

On Monday, the House gave its final nod to House Resolution 1499, urging the National Telecommunications Commission to suspend SMNI's operations for alleged gross violation of the terms and conditions of its franchise under RA 1142.

The resolution was adopted on the plenary floor just hours after it was approved by the House committee on legislative franchise during the conclusion of its third hearing.