Jeffrey "Ka Eric" Celiz (left) and Lorraine Badoy (Facebook)

Television network SMNI pays anchors Jeffrey "Ka Eric" Celiz and Lorraine Badoy P100,000 a month each for their services on their program, "Laban Kasama Ang Bayan", where the allegation that House Speaker Martin Romualdez spent P1.8 billion on his travels was made. 

This was bared by SMNI legal counsel Mark Tolentino, who along with network officials and the two anchors attended a hearing of the House Committee on Legislative Franchises on Thursday, Nov. 30. 

Tolentino told Quezon 2nd district Rep. David "Jay-jay" Suarez during the latter's interpellation that Celiz and Badoy, were considered as "talents, Mr. Chair, not employees". 

"As talents, how much are they receiving?" asked Suarez, to which Tolentino answered, "P100,000 a month Mr. chair." 

Celiz, who prides himself on being a journalist, later admitted to the panel that the figure of P1.8 billion was wrong after he was confronted with figures from the House of Representatives' finance department. 

It turned out that the Office of the Speaker spent just P4,347,712.58 from January to October 2023--a far cry from the P1.8 billion allegation, which Celiz claimed was fed to him by two sources. 

He said one of these two sources is an employee over at the Senate, which is a co-equal chamber of the House of Representatives. 

When asked by Antipolo City 2nd district Rep. Romeo Acop about whether SMNI followed the provisions of the KBP Code of Conduct after hearing all the discussions, Kapisanan ng Broadcaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) Vice President for Legal and Regulatory Compliance Group Rudolph Jularbal said that the network has not subjected any of its anchors to a seminar on responsible broadcasting, which is a requirement for accreditation of broadcast journalists. 

"Your Honor, we beg your indulgence, but in the context of what has been presented and of which I am informed this hearing, the network is lacking in observance of the Code of Conduct," Jularbal said. 

Celiz himself admitted that he wasn't accredited by KBP. He would later apologize to the Speaker and the House for airing the false information, but only after he was urged by Surigao del Sur 2nd district Rep. Johnny Pimentel. 

Laban Kasama Ang Bayan airs daily, with a runtime of 90 minutes per day, Tolentino said. 

Despite Celiz's apology, the legislative franchise panel still intends to determine whether or not SMNI violated its franchise terms with what was aired on the particular program. 

“So very clear dito, bawal po sa prankisa ninyo na magsabi sa publiko ng mga maling reports or deliberately false information (your franchise prohibits spreading wrong reports or deliberately false information)," reckoned Pimentel, a vice chairman of the panel. 

"Now, Mr. Chair, my question is to the SMNI: why should you not be held liable when it is very clear that you have violated Section 4 of your franchise?" he asked. 

SMNI operates under the 25-year legislative franchise under RA 11422 granted to Swara Sug Media Corporation of the Philippines on Aug. 22, 2019. 

The network is allegedly owned by religious leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, who is wanted in the United States (US) for sex trafficking of children.