SUSPENDED
THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has issued a show cause order with 30-day suspension for Swara Sug Media Corporation, which operates under the business name Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), due to several violations.
In an eight-page order issued on December 19, 2023, the NTC instructed SMNI to provide a written explanation within 15 days from the date of receipt, explaining why it should not face administrative sanctions for breaching the conditions of its authority to operate and failing to comply with all the laws, rules, and regulations of the land.
The regulatory body cautioned that if SMNI fails to submit an Answer or provide a written explanation within the granted period, it would be deemed a waiver of its right to be heard, and in such a scenario, the NTC would proceed to deliver a judgment based on applicable laws and evidence.
Meanwhile, the NTC stated that it had found sufficient reason to suspend SMNI’s operation of its nationwide radio and television stations for a duration of 30 days from the receipt of the order, in accordance with Section 16 (n) of the Public Service Act, as amended.
The resolution was signed by NTC Commissioner Ella Blanca B. Lopez and Deputy Commissioners Jon Paulo V. Salvahan and Alvin Bernard N. Blanco.
In its order, the NTC acknowledged the resolution approved by the House of Representatives, which called for SMNI’s suspension.
House Resolution (HR) No. 189 held that SMNI violated the terms and conditions outlined in Republic Act (RA) No. 11422, the legislation that extended Swara Sug’s congressional franchise for an additional 25 years from August 2019.
The resolution identified three specific violations by SMNI, as stipulated in its congressional franchise: Section 4 – failure to fulfill responsibility to the public by deliberately disseminating false information; Section 10 – admission of transferring shares of stock without prior congressional approval; and Section 11 – neglect to offer at least 30 percent of its outstanding stock to the public through securities exchange or other methods encouraging public participation.
In the suspension of SMNI, the NTC said that it was “taking cognizance of the House of Representative’s declaration that Respondent Swara Sug has violated several provisions of its legislative franchise, and giving due deference to such determination of the House of Representatives and its authority over all matters directly and principally relating to the grant, amendment, extension or revocation of franchises.”
The NTC has ordered SMNI’s presence at the administrative hearing scheduled for January 4, 2024, at 10 am.
SMNI was also instructed to promptly provide its email address to [email protected] and [email protected] upon receipt of the order.
Furthermore, the NTC has directed its regional directors, responsible for the areas where SMNI holds authority, to promptly and rigorously implement the suspension aspect of the order.
SMNI, reportedly owned by televangelist Apollo Quiboloy, oversees operations across the country with 10 AM stations, 3 FM stations, 14 TV stations, and 22 digital terrestrial TV broadcasting stations.
The House of Representatives, through its Committee on Legislative Franchises, conducted hearings on November 30, December 5, and December 11, 2023, addressing various measures related to SMNI.
These measures include HR 230 condemning SMNI’s fake news peddling and baseless red-tagging; HR 1428 condemning threats against ACT Teachers Rep. France L. Castro; and the privilege speech of Deputy Majority Leader and Quezon Rep. David “Jay-Jay” Suarez addressing misinformation surrounding Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez’s alleged P1.8 billion travel expenses.
House officials debunked this claim, presenting official records indicating a total House travel expense of P39.6 million from January to October, with the Office of the Speaker disbursing only P4.3 million.
In the initial hearing, Jeffrey “Ka Eric” Celiz, a host on SMNI’s “Laban Kasama ng Bayan” program, acknowledged that the information source regarding the incorrect P1.8 billion travel expenses he mentioned during the live broadcast was inaccurate and had not been validated.
In the hearings on Dec. 5 and 11, PBA Party-list Rep. Margarita “Atty. Migs” Nograles introduced HR 1499 urging the NTC to suspend SMNI’s operations, ultimately leading to HR 189.
As an attached agency of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, NTC serves as the regulator and principal authority for telecommunication services in the country. Its mandate includes the regulation and supervision of radio and TV broadcast stations, cable television, and pay TV.
