By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Saying that the call to suspend Sonshine Media Network International’s (SMNI) operation is not an attack on press freedom, PBA party-list Rep. Margarita Nograles has stressed that media entities should be responsible in their reportage.
This was pointed out by Nograles during Tuesday’s ( December 5) hearing of the House Committee on Legislative Franchises chaired by Parañaque City Rep. Gus Tambunting.
“As we have heard in today’s (Tuesday) hearing, there are several instances where SMNI peddled fake news against certain public officials. They are not denying these instances,” Nograles noted.
Citing Section 4 of RA 11422, the lawmaker said as a media entity, SMNI has “the responsibility to the public not to use its station or facilities for the dissemination of deliberately false information or willful misrepresentation to the detriment of the public interest.”
Nograles also said SMNI failed to exercise extreme caution in the franchise granted by Congress to operate in an industry imbued with public interest.
SMNI operates under the congressional franchise granted to Swara Sug Media Corporation in August 2019 under Republic Act 11422.
Without any objection, the House body has adopted House Resolution 1499 authored by Nograles urging the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to suspend SMNI operations due to alleged violations of its franchise terms.
Political observers said the SMNI usually serves as a “mouthpiece” of former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte in venting his ire towards his perceived political enemies like ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro who sued FPRRD for alleged grave threats.
(ai/mnm)