SMNI anchors, reporters assail NTC’s decision on network suspension

MANILA, Philippines — Hosts and reporters of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) on Tuesday filed a petition before the Supreme Court (SC) to question the constitutionality of National Telecommunications Commission’s cease-and-desist order which resulted to the suspension of the network.

The petitioners filed a request for a temporary restraining order and injunction, saying that the indefinite suspension imposed by the NTC violates the freedom of expression and the press. They argued that the broadcast regulator has no jurisdiction on legislative franchises. 

On January 18, the NTC ordered SMNI to stop its operations indefinitely after the network did not comply with the 30-day suspension imposed by the agency.

Petitioners argued that the suspension order directly affected the work of the hosts and reporters of the network, as its news and current affairs programs were also suspended as a result of the cease-and-desist order.

“The rest of the Petitioners, who are all journalists, are unable to exercise their profession because of the forced suspension of the operations of SMNI,” the petition read.

Among the petitioners is former presidential spokesman Harry Roque, who is one of the network’s hosts. He described NTC’s cease-and-desist order as a “prior restraint and subsequent punishment.”

Petitioners also argued that the NTC has no jurisdiction on legislative franchises, asserting that it can only “regulate, inspect, and supervise broadcast entities.” 

“The Petitioners would like to expound on that point further by respectfully submitting, in this case, that the NTC has no power to inquire into alleged violations of a holder’s legislative franchise, much less to take any action arising from those alleged violations,” the petition read.

The House of Representatives on December 11, through House Resolution 189, earlier urged NTC to suspend the business of Swara Sug, which operates SMNI, for allegedly violating the terms and conditions of its franchise.

The issue stemmed from the accusations of SMNI hosts Lorraine Badoy and Jeffrey Celiz, who claimed that House Speaker Martin Romualdez used P1.8 billion for international travel from January to October 2023.

On January 26, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board dismissed the motion for reconsideration of SMNI, asking the board to lift the suspension of its two programs “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” and “Laban Kasama ang Bayan.”

One of SMNI’s lawyers Rolex Suplico said that they will file a petition for review before the Office of the President with regards to the MTRCB resolution.