Lawmaker files bill seeking to revoke SMNI franchise

Separate from a House resolution asking to suspend Sonshine Media Network International’s (SMNI) operations, a party list lawmaker has filed a measure seeking the revocation of the franchise granted by Congress to SMNI’s mother company, Swara Sug Media Corp.

1-Rider party list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez filed on Monday House Bill No. 9710 that seeks to repeal Republic Act No. 11422 or the law that renewed in 2019 Swara Sug’s franchise for another 25 years.

RA 11422 was based on RA 8122 which authorized Swara Sug to construct, install, operate, and maintain for commercial purposes radio and television broadcasting stations in the Philippines.

Violations

The filing of the bill coincided with the House of Representatives’ adoption of House Resolution No. 1499 urging the National Telecommunications Commission to suspend the operations of SMNI for violations of sections 4, 10, 11 and 12 of its franchise.

According to the resolution, the specific alleged violations include dissemination of deliberately false information or willful misrepresentation to the detriment of public interest; transfer of controlling interest without prior approval of Congress; no report to Congress within 60 days after the transfer of controlling interest; and failure to comply with the 30 percent dispersal of ownership to the public.

The House committee on legislative franchises, which met on Monday, also observed another likely violation by Swara Sug in allegedly furnishing different general information sheets (GIS), including those pertaining to its ultimate beneficial owner (Ubo), to Congress and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The notarized GIS submitted in Congress showed that televangelist Apollo Quiboloy was beneficial owner until April, 2021 while the SEC GIS indicated Quiboloy was Ubo until 2020. According to the committee members, the same documents bearing similar information should have been submitted to the SEC and Congress.

During the proceedings, Marikina City Rep. Stella Quimbo asked that Quiboloy be invited to the next panel hearing.

After a week in detention the two hosts of SMNI, Jeffrey Celiz and Lorraine Badoy, found themselves free once more after a House committee ordered their release for “humanitarian considerations.”

They were released by House Sergeant at Arms Napoleon Taas on Tuesday night. INQ