THE National Telecommunications Commission has heeded the House of Representatives and slapped a 30-day suspension of the operations of Swara Sug Media Corporation, which runs SMNI.
The NTC also issued a show cause order directing the network to explain in writing within 15 days why it should not be sanctioned for its alleged violation of its duties to comply with all laws, rules, and regulations.
The hearing on SMNI’s alleged violations will be on January 4, as posted on abogado.ph
The NTC, in a statement, took note of the House’s declarations that SMNI violated at least three provisions of its legislative franchise and said that it “gave due deference to such determination of the House of Representatives and its authority over all matters directly and principally relating to the grant, amendment, extension, or revocation of franchises.”
It also pointed out that it participated in the House hearings that led to the resolution against SMNI.
The House had investigated SMNI after it aired an unverified report on the travel expenses of Speaker Martin Romualdez.
After the probe, the House adopted the resolution urging NTC to suspend SMNI, saying that the network violated the terms of its franchise by disseminating false information; by not reporting to Congress the transfer of its shares of stock to another entity; and by failing to offer to the public at least 30 percent of its outstanding stock in any securities exchange in the Philippines.
There is also a pending bill in the House seeking to revoke SMNI’s franchise due to its alleged “numerous transgressions and abuses.”
The NTC’s order suspending SMNI’s operations came shortly after the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board suspended two of the network’s shows: “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” hosted by former President Rodrigo Duterte and “Laban Kasama ang Bayan” hosted by Lorraine Badoy-Partosa and Jeffrey Celiz.
