For allegedly lying, House panel detains SMNI anchor Badoy
Cites her in contempt during the hearing
FOR allegedly lying under oath, the House committee on legislative franchises chaired by Parañaque City Rep. Gus Tambunting on Tuesday night cited in contempt Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) anchor Lorraine Badoy and ordered her detention at the Batasan Complex until after the panel finished the process of its inquiry in the plenary.
Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante moved to cite Badoy in contempt as Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop, a retired police general and chairman of the House committee on transportation, seconded after the controversial SMNI host seemingly did not tell the truth about the details of advertisements in her program,
“Section 11 refusal to answer in a relevant inquiry acting in a disrespectful manner because she was found lying, Mr. Chair, that would be my reason to make a motion to declare her in contempt,” Abante said as Tambunting approved the motion after hearing no objection from panel members.
Tambunting also granted another motion from Abang Lingkod Partylist Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano to detain Badoy until the committee finished its tasks of resolving the matter in the plenary concerning fake news in the alleged P1.8 billion travel expenses of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and investigation on SMNI’s possible violation of franchise.
Early in the day, they cited in contempt SMNI anchor Jeffrey Celiz and ordered his detention at the Batasan Complex until after the adoption in the plenary of the panel’s committee report.
Aside from the P100,000 monthly salary of Badoy and Celiz, SMNI counsel Mark Tolentino said the lady host in the radio program Laban Kasama ang Bayan also received a 25% share each from profits of advertisements as the remaining 50% of revenue will go to SMNI.
Badoy cited e-fuel, a food cart, and Galileo Water as advertisers of her program after Quezon Rep. David Suarez asked her about the advertisers.
“Sa totoo lang, ang konti talaga ng sponsors d’yan because the anti-CPP works is not sexy nobody wants to touch it,” Badoy said.
Tambunting expressed concern about Badoy’s lack of awareness regarding their advertisers.
“Hindi ba kung kayo ay may revenue dapat alam nyo kung saan ang source ng revenue…. para alam n’yo na tama ‘yung 25% na makukuha nyo,” Tambunting pointed out.
“Mr. Chair, I honestly don’t care about the money. That’s the truth,” Badoy responded.
Tambunting said he finds it irregular not to remember the names of few advertisers in the program. “Mas madali matandaan ‘yung kokonti kesa marami.”
Upon Suarez’s questioning, Tolentino said, “The show has no advertisers.”
“Ano yung sinabi ni Dr. Badoy na e-fuel, food cart, ano yun?” Suarez asked.
Tolentino replied, “They are advertisers not of ‘Laban Kasama ang Bayan’. It is an advertiser of a program prior to the program.”
Santa Rosa Rep. Dan Fernandez said the documents SMNI submitted are allegedly untrue.
“Clearly nagsisinungaling kayo Ma’am Badoy, dahil ang sinasabi n’yo kumikita kayo sa pagiging co-producer pero hindi nakalista sa breakdown ng inyong revenue…. Sabi mo may tatlong nag-a-advertise,” Fernandez said.
