Bongbong Marcos ready to talk to ex-President Duterte regarding SMNI probe

Former President Rodrigo Duterte visits President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at Malacañang in this file photo taken on August 3, 2023. (FILE) Malacañang photo

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is ready to meet former chief executive Rodrigo Duterte after the latter questioned why his program under the Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) was affected by the ongoing investigation on the network.

“President Marcos is always available to former President Duterte. The President will contact him now to ask if he wants a meeting,” Communications Secretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil said in a message to reporters on Sunday.

The statement of the head of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) came after Duterte said he wanted to talk to the President “indirectly” about the matter.

“Ewan ko kung ano. I do not want to control the President, but rather I’d like to talk to him indirectly kung bakit ganon,” the former chief executive said in a press conference on Saturday.

(I don’t know what. I do not want to control the President, but rather, I’d like to talk to him indirectly about why this happened.)

“As far as I’m concerned, I have not crucified him, not even criticized him severely, maybe commented on the direction that the government is proceeding,” he added.

Last December 21, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) suspended the operations of SMNI for 30 days, which was initiated in response to a House resolution urging the latter’s suspension for alleged violations of its franchise’s terms and conditions.

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Earlier, on December 19, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board issued a 14-day preventive suspension order on two programs of SMNI, including Duterte’s program “Gikan Sa Masa, Para Sa Masa” (From the Masses, For the Masses), as well as another program “Laban Kasama Ang Bayan.”