Romualdez says House scrutiny of SMNI franchise part of its mandate

Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez FILE PHOTO / Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has assured that there is nothing personal in the legislative chamber’s scrutiny of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), noting that everything was within their Constitutional mandate.

In his speech on Wednesday before Congress went into a break, Romualdez clarified that the House is only working when the committee on legislative franchises investigated the alleged violations committed by SMNI.

Earlier, the House approved House Bill (HB) No. 9710 on third and final reading after 284 lawmakers voted in the affirmative, four in the negative, and four abstentions.

“For violating certain terms and conditions granted in its franchise contract embodied in RA 11422 or the law extending the grant of franchise to SMNI, the plenary approved on third and final reading House Bill No. 9710 revoking the franchise of SMNI by 284 members voting in the affirmative,” Romualdez said.

“Tinutupad lamang po natin ang mandatong ini-atang sa atin ng Konstitusyon at ng taumbayan. Walang personalan dito. Trabaho lang,” he added.

(We are only fulfilling the mandate entrusted upon us by the Constitution and the people.  This is nothing personal.  Only work.)

The Speaker also said that the huge vote in favor of revoking SMNI’s franchise affirms that the provision of franchises are a privilege where the grantee — in this case, the network — is expected to adhere with the rules stated.

“This unequivocally affirms that the special privilege of holding a legislative franchise ‘constitutes a right and duty to be performed by the grantee’, and is contingent upon the fulfillment of legal and ethical obligations to our nation,” he noted.

Among the franchise violations committed by SMNI, according to committee chairperson Parañaque 2nd District Rep. Gus Tambunting and Surigao del Sur 2nd District Rep. Johnny Pimentel are the following:

• 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

READ: SMNI will get chance to answer issues as it faces losing franchise – House rep 

Tambunting in his sponsorship of HB No. 9710 said that SMNI committed several violations as it did not only spread misinformation and disinformation, but also engaged in “blatant red-tagging” of past and present government officials, without presenting evidence.

Investigations on SMNI, officially operating as Swara Sug Media Corporation, started after Deputy Speaker David Suarez took notice of the wrong information being shared by Laban Kasama ang Bayan host Jeffrey Celiz — that Speaker Romualdez spent P1.8 billion for 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.

SMNI was also criticized for allowing itself to be an avenue for rumors and hate speech against the House, when former president Rodrigo Duterte labeled the chamber as the most rotten government organization.

Duterte made the statements over his SMNI program “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa”, after the House stripped the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) of its confidential fund requests for 2024, amounting to P500 million and P150 million, respectively.

READ: House gives zero confidential funds to OVP, DepEd, DICT, DFA, DA 

OVP and DepEd are headed by Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte.

READ: ‘We pass COA audit’: House Sec Gen on Duterte’s tirade on House being rotten

The former president, in the same program aired over SMNI, Duterte was accused of threatening to kill ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro, who had advocated for the removal of confidential funds under the Vice President’s offices.

READ: House reps find Duterte’s tirades offensive, a serious attack – secretary general 

The confidential fund requests of the OVP and DepEd and other civilian offices were diverted to agencies involved in securing the West Philippine Sea.