Lawmakers to invite Quiboloy to SMNI franchise hearing

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 14) — Lawmakers will summon megachurch leader Apollo Quiboloy to its hearings next year on a bill seeking the revocation of the franchise granted to Swara Sug Media Corporation, also known as Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI).

Parañaque Rep. Gus Tambunting, who also sits as the House Legislative Franchises Committee chairman, said the panel will begin its hearings on House Bill 9710 calling for the repeal of Republic Act 11422, or the franchise granted to Swara Sug in 2018.

Tambunting said the panel may subpoena Quiboloy if he snubs the invitation that will be sent by the committee for the hearings on HB 9710.

«During the process of the hearing of the bill, then that's the time we will ask for his presence,» he said.

Quiboloy was invited to the hearings on HR 1499 by the committee but he declined to attend, claiming in a letter that he was no longer an official of Swara Sug when its franchise was renewed under the Duterte administration.

1-Rider Party-list Rep. Ramon Gutierrez filed HB 9710 on the same day that the House adopted House Resolution 1499, which calls on the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to suspend SMNI's operations over a number of alleged franchise violations.

Despite the swift approval of the resolution suspending SMNI's operations, both Tambunting and Gutierrez were cautious when asked about the chances of approving the bill revoking the network's franchise.

They said that while several members of the legislative franchises committee appear to be in favor of cancelling SMNI's franchise, it might be a different story when the bill reaches the House plenary and Senate.

«If we're going to base it on the committee, based on the members that have been attending, they seem to be in agreement that there are violations,» Gutierrez said.

«This could pass the committee level, but the question of the House, on the floor, I wouldn't be ready to say, especially for the Senate,» he added.

SMNI is known as the broadcasting arm of Quiboloy, an individual wanted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation for alleged sex trafficking, fraud, coercion, and bulk cash smuggling