Court asked to stop SMNI suspension

FORMER Palace spokesman Herminio “Harry” Roque Jr., together with anchors and reporters of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to stop the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) from enforcing its indefinite suspension order against the media network’s operations.

In a 45-page petition, SMNI said that NTC’s indefinite suspension order is a form of censorship without legal basis.

The petitioners asked the high court to issue a temporary restraining order and a writ of preliminary injunction to immediately stop the NTC from enforcing its earlier suspension order against Swara Sug Media Corporation, the business name of SMNI.

They also sought 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.

SMNI is the broadcast media arm of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. It operates a network of radio and television broadcasting stations.

SMNI’s problem emanated from a House Resolution claiming that the media entity violated the terms and conditions of its franchise, particularly the provision that prevented the network from using its stations or facilities to propagate false information.

The House of Representatives came out with the resolution after one of SMNI’s anchors claimed that Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez’s travel expenses reached P1.8 billion.

“The [NTC orders] are content-based restrictions on the operations of SMNI. They are directed to SMNI alone, and are based on findings from a previous investigation in which SMNI’s operations and the content of its broadcasts were scrutinized,” the petitioners said. “Regardless of any purported objective if the effect is to shut down the broadcast operations of SMNI..., the assailed order must be scrutinized with a heavy presumption of unconstitutionality.”

In the same petition, SMNI said that the NTC has no power to revoke an existing franchise since such prerogative is lodged with the Office of the Solicitor General through a case in court to cancel a franchise.

Roque said SMNI’s suspension is an affront to press freedom and freedom of speech.