NTC suspends SMNI operations for 30 days

MANILA, Philippines —  The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has suspended the radio and TV channels of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) for allegedly breaking the terms and conditions of its legislative franchise.

In a show-cause order, NTC told Swara Sug Media Corp., parent company of SMNI, to submit in writing within 15 days its defense.

For the meantime, the NTC suspended the radio and TV stations of SMNI for 30 days to make way for an investigation that will commence on Jan. 4, 2024.

NTC decided to force SMNI off air in compliance with Resolution 189 approved by the House of Representatives. The resolution calls on NTC to suspend the business of Swara Sug for allegedly violating the terms and conditions of its franchise, Republic Act 11422.

The resolution lists multiple violations reportedly committed by SMNI in its media business. The issue stemmed from the allegations made by SMNI hosts Lorraine Badoy and Jeffrey Celiz that Speaker Martin Romualdez spent P1.8 billion on foreign travel between January and October 2023.

In a House committee hearing, Secretary General Reginald Velasco disputed SMNI’s claim, and showed records that Romualdez spent way below that amount, at P4.35 million.

Celiz admitted that he failed to validate the figures that were given to him by an undisclosed source. He was ordered detained at the House for his refusal to identify the source.

Badoy was also ordered detained for showing “disrespect” to the House. She and Celiz staged a hunger strike while in detention.

The House reprimanded SMNI for the several occasions that it tagged media and opposition figures as members of the communist movement without presenting any proof.

On the business side of the franchise, the House noted that SMNI has failed to offer to the public at least 30 percent of its outstanding stock. Similarly, it flagged the changes in SMNI’s corporate structure that were done without congressional approval.

For NTC, these reasons hold enough water to require SMNI to go off air, as the agency sets out to conduct its own hearing on the issue next year.

SMNI, operated by Swara Sug, serves as the broadcasting arm of Kingdom of Jesus Christ