REPORTERS and anchors of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) filed a petition with the Supreme Court (SC) against the ceast and desist order of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).
The reporters, in a 48-page petition, asked the SC to issue a temporary restraining order and a writ of preliminary injunction to enjoin the NTC from taking any action in connection to its December 2023 order and January 2024 suspension orders while the petition is pending before the SC.
They also asked the SC to issue a writ of certiorari declaring that the NTC committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction in issuing the assailed orders, among others, and a writ of prohibition.
Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque is also among the petitioners.
“[U]nang una, [ito] ay labag sa karapatan ng malayang pananalita at malayang pamamahayag. Pangalawa, dahil walang karapatan ang NTC na mag revoke ng prangkisa,” Roque said in an ambush interview.
Roque, meanwhile, stressed that they were not filing the petition on behalf of SMNI.
“Kada minuto na sinusupil ang kalayaan ng pananalita at pamamahayag ay paglabag ng karapatang pang tao. So naniniwala po kami na yung nakabinbin ngayon sa National Telecommunications Commission, iba po ang standing ng SMNI mismo doon sa karapatan ng mga mamamahayag, lalong lalo na,” he said.
