House panel issues subpoena vs. Quiboloy to attend SMNI probe

The House Committee on Legislative Franchises on Wednesday issued a subpoena on Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, the honorary chairman of the Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) network.

SMNI is facing a congressional inquiry over supposed violations of its franchise to operate, including  allegedly deliberately disseminating false information, and transferring its shares without prior Congressional approval.

Surigao del Sur lawmaker Johnny Pimentel, a committee vice chairperson, moved that a subpoena to Quiboloy after latter failed to show up before the House panel despite being invited twice.

“We have to issue a subpoena to compel him to attend our next hearing,” Pimentel said.

“We have invited him not once and several times, but unfortunately, he has not attended our hearings,” he added.

SMNI’s president Marlon Rosete also skipped the inquiry on Wednesday, citing an illness.

Pimentel warned that Quiboloy will be cited in contempt if he fails to show up in the next hearing.

The congressman said the House committee would issue an arrest order on Quiboloy if he ignores the contempt citation.

SMNI was represented at the hearing by its lawyers Arry. Mark Tolentino and Atty. Rolex Suplico.

Tolentino and Suplico, however, did not offer a response to the House committee’s issuance of a subpoena against Quiboloy.

Tolentino, however, maintained that Quiboloy was a mere honorary chairman of SMNI.  

“Pastor Quiboloy is an honorary chairman of SMNI and it is not a part of its (SMNI) day-to-day operations,” Tolentino said.

Government regulator National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has indefinitely suspended the operations of SMNI indeifinitely pending NTC’s hearing and final consideration of an administrative case (Adm. CN 2023-052) against the SMNI.

The administrative case stemmed from the December 2023 House Resolution adopted by the House of Representatives which stated that SMNI violated its franchise to operate with the following acts:

• deliberately disseminating false information;
• transferring shares without prior Congressional approval; and
• failure to offer at least 30% of its outstanding stock.

Prior to the suspension, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) also suspended two SMNI programs, Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa and Laban Kasama ang Bayan, for 14 days starting Dec. 18, 2023.

The MTRCB said the programs violated established guidelines and standards governing broadcasting content, after the broadcast of House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s alleged P1.8-billion travel funds, and former President Rodrigo Duterte’s profanities and threats to kill opposition lawmaker House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro.

During the hearing, NTC Deputy Commissioner Alvin Blanco said SMNI in Region 6 or the Western Visayas continued to operate even after the 30-day suspension order issued on December 21.tc-to-suspend-smni-franchise/story/

“It was Region 6 (Western Visayas)... It was the only region that reported continued operation [despite the 30-day suspension order issued last December 21],” Blanco said.

Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, an Assistant House Minority Leader, said SMNI should not get away with such defiance.

“The NTC received reports that SMNI did not strictly comply with the suspension order and was operating in Region 6 as late as December 27, 2023. The SMNI is not taking the suspension order seriously. Can NTC do something about this?" Brosas said.

GMA News Online has sought comment from SMNI and will publish its comment as soon as it is available.  —NB, GMA Integrated News