“DON’T be swayed by external interests.”

Deputy Majority Leader Tingog Party-list Representative Jude A. Acidre made this call to the Senate’s impartial investigation on the franchise of Swara Sug Media Corp, operating under Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI).

The SMNI is the media arm of televangelist pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy.

“Our only hope is that the Senate will really look at it objectively and not be swayed by external interests, I have full trust that the Senate has a full track record of doing investigations and I hope that they will also take this bill with the same impartiality and objectively,” Acidre said.

Members of the House passed on the third and final reading on Wednesday the revocation of franchising rights of SMNI, with 284 congressmen voting in favor of repealing Republic Act No. 11422 or the law that granted SMNI’s 25-year franchise.

“We cannot of course tell the Senate what to do,” Rep. Acidre said as the bill was already forwarded to the Senate, “They will have to look into the evidence. They will have to look into the merits of the discussion, as well as the bill that has been presented or referred to them,” he added.

The Deputy Majority Leader said Quiboloy repeatedly disrespected the House by ignoring invitations to probe.

SMNI representatives likewise have hesitations to answer the allegations made against them.

Moreover, Acidre highlighted that an arrest warrant must be rescinded officially by an act of the committee of legislative franchises or the leadership of the House.

“It’s a formal step that has to be taken,” Acidre said.

“Hindi naman natin pwedeng pabayaan ‘yung tao na ayaw magpakita, despite the many invitations to Congress. Parang hindi naman puwedeng maging precedent ito for future investigations,” he stated.

Since the media company was “blatantly red-tagging, peddling fake news, and violating broadcasting standards,” the legislative franchise committee found it to be a breach of Sections 4 and 7 of RA 11422.

Congress launched an investigation into SMNI’s alleged abuses of franchise rights because of its purported dissemination of false information in response to its assertion that Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez spent P1.8 billion on international travel in 2023.