MANILA — In a gesture aligned with the festive spirit of the Yuletide season, the House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Franchises has issued a directive for the compassionate release of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) hosts, Jeffrey Celiz and Lorraine Badoy-Partosa.
The committee had previously detained them on charges of contempt.
Paranaque City 2nd District Rep. Gus Tambunting, the committee’s chairman, emphasized that the decision to release Celiz and Badoy-Partosa was purely motivated by humanitarian considerations.
Tambunting clarified that this move was unrelated to the petition filed by the spouses of Celiz and Badoy-Partosa before the Supreme Court.
“The committee decided to release Celiz and Badoy purely on humanitarian grounds. Tomorrow is the last day of the session, and we do not want Mr. Celiz and Ms. Badoy to spend their Christmas and New Year in detention,” explained Tambunting.
He further asserted that the initial decision to detain Celiz and Badoy-Partosa was made under the Constitution and the existing Rules of the House of Representatives.
During the committee hearing on Celiz’s request for release, a motion to free the two hosts gained traction.
This occurred after Celiz complied with the committee’s demand to reveal his information source, acknowledging that the details he previously shared about Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez’s travel expenses were inaccurate.
Additionally, Celiz issued a letter of apology, expressing regret for disseminating false information.
“In considering Mr. Celiz’s apology, his admission of spreading fake news, and his sincere appeal to be released to attend to his ailing mother, we have made the decision to release him,” stated Tambunting.
In response to the development, Badoy remarked that this decision marked a “win for press freedom” in the country.
(Amado Inigo/mnm)