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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider House panel adopts measure to suspend SMNI operations 

House panel adopts measure to suspend SMNI operations 

Published Dec 6, 2023 10:08 am

At A Glance

  • The measure seeking to suspend the operations of controversial television network SMNI has been adopted by the House Committee on Legislative Franchises. 

Screenshot_20231130-164845_Chrome.jpgSMNI logo (Wikipedia)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The measure seeking to suspend the operations of controversial television network SMNI has been adopted by the House Committee on Legislative Franchises. 

Adopted on Tuesday night, Dec. 5 during a marathon hearing of the committee was House Resolution (HR) No,1499, which was filed by House Assistant Majority Leader Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Party-list Rep. Margarita "Migs" Nograles. 

This developed even as a handful of House members raised serious issues during the hearing as to the veracity of news and information shared on SMNI's programs. 

The Parañaque City 2nd district Rep. Gus Tambunting-chaired panel held the hearing specifically to look into SMNI's alleged franchise violations. There have been two hearings on the matter so far. 

In a telltale sign regarding the sense of the committee, Tambunting carried the motion to adopt HR No.1499--which urges the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to take SMNI off the air--after hearing no objections from the panel. 

The resolution will be endorsed for plenary adoption afterward. 

Nograles said during the hearing that SMNI failed to exercise extreme caution in the franchise granted by Congress to operate in an industry imbued with public interest. 

SMNI, officially called Swara Sug Media Corporation, operates under its franchise, Republic Act (RA) No.11422. The law was enacted back in Aug. 2019. 

Several congressman, including Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Johnny Pimentel and  Quezon 2nd district Rep. Danilo "Jay-jay" Suarez, found possible violations to SMNI's franchise. 

Citing Section 4 of RA No.11422, Nograles said the television network has “the responsibility to the public not to use its station or facilities for the dissemination of deliberately false information or willful misrepresentation to the detriment of the public interest". 

“As we have heard in today’s (Tuesday) hearing, there are several instances where SMNI peddled fake news against certain public officials. They themselves are not denying these instances,” she said. 

 

CLICK HERE:

https://mb.com.ph/2023/12/6/badoy-celiz-refuse-to-eat-while-in-house-custody

 

Nograles underscored that the call to suspend SMNI's operations wasn't an attack on press freedom in the country. 

“This is not an attack on the freedom of the press. Rather, we are defending the right of the people to have accurate and true reporting so that they can formulate honest opinions and thus contribute positively to society.” 

She said that as representatives of the people, congressmen like herself "have the responsibility to ensure that the people shall be protected from false and malicious information". 

It was on the SMNI program "Laban Kasama Ang Bayan" that anchors Jeffrey "Ka Eric" Celiz and Lorraine Badoy floated in commentary style the allegation that House Speaker Martin Romualdez spent a whopping P1.8 billion on his travels.  

This was later proven to be fake news during the first hearing last Nov. 30. During that same panel hearing, NTC Deputy Commissioner Alvin Blanco told the solons that he saw "infractions" on the part of SMNI.  

“There appears to be infractions, Mr. Chair, on certain provisions of the franchise, particularly the reference provision on Section 4 on the responsibility of the franchisee not to use the station or its facilities for the dissemination of willful or false information,” he sad. 

 

Related Tags

margarita migs Nograles SMNI House of Representative
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