Solons optimistic SMNI issue will be tackled by Senate impartially

 

MANILA, Philippines — Despite allegations that Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy has many allies in the Senate, several members of the House of Representatives believe the Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) franchise issue would be tackled impartially.

Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, during the Makabayan bloc’s press briefing on Thursday said she is sure that discerning senators are present and will ensure that discussions are done on SMNI’s franchise issue.

Brosas said this after House Bill (HB) No. 9710 — which seeks to revoke the franchise given to SMNI — was approved with 284 lawmakers voting in the affirmative, four voting in the negative, and four abstaining.  After the approval, the bill was ordered forwarded to the Senate.

“If this will reach the Senate, I’m sure there are discerning lawmakers there and I think they will not allow false information to prevail,” she said.

“So between that, it is true that there are many who support (Quiboloy) and we think that is wrong because they should not support him or block moves to ferret out the truth regarding several incidents,” she added.

According to Brosas, the Senate is actually advanced in terms of discussing issues involving Quiboloy, because it is discussing alleged sex crimes and trafficking raps against the televangelist.

Quiboloy was involved in the House hearing only because of his ties to SMNI.

“Actually they were ahead of us because the committee of Senator Risa Hontiveros discussed issues way above the franchise eh, the discussions were about women, trafficking of women and children, and allegations of rape child molestation.  That’s what they were hearing,” Brosas said.

“That’s why we think there are discerning individuals in the Senate who can ably defend calls to strip SMNI of its franchise,” she added.

Deputy Majority Leader and Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre also said that while House members cannot tell the Senate what to do, they trust that the Senate would look at the issue objectively.

“We cannot of course tell the Senate what to do, they will have to look into the evidence, they will have to look into the merits of the discussions as well as the bill that has been presented or referred to them,” Acidre said.

“Our only hope is that the Senate will look at it really objectively and not to be swayed by external interest. I have full trust that the Senate has a track record of doing investigations and I hope that they will also take this bill with the same impartiality and objectivity,” he added.

Investigations into SMNI, officially operating as Swara Sug Media Corporation, started after Deputy Speaker David Suarez noticed the wrong information being shared by Laban Kasama ang Bayan host Jeffrey Celiz—that Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez spent P1.8 billion on trips in 2023.

House Secretary General Reginald Velasco then clarified that the total travel cost for all House members and their staff from January 2023 to October 2023 was only P39.6 million.

Eventually, it was discovered that SMNI committed other violations that deem a revocation of their franchise:

• Section 4 which mandates SMNI or Swara Sug Media Corporation — the legal name of SMNI — to “provide at all times sound and balanced programming
• Section 10 which mandates SMNI to inform Congress about the sale of the company to other owners or other major changes
• Section 11 which mandates the SMNI to offer at least 30 percent of its stock to the public