MANILA – The House Committee on Legislative Franchises on Wednesday approved the issuance of a subpoena for Pastor Apollo Quiboloy to appear before the panel in its next hearing.
Surigao del Sur 2nd District Rep. Johnny Pimentel made the motion for the issuance of a subpoena. It was approved without objections.
On Wednesday, the committee heard the proposal to revoke the legislative franchise of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) and some resolutions related to the network.
“It’s about time we have him sit, face us, so we can directly ask Pastor Quiboloy our questions,” Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas said.
During the hearing, the committee was told that Quiboloy is SMNI’s honorary chairman and was not part of its operations.
House Bill (HB) 9710, which seeks to revoke SMNI’s franchise, was filed on Dec. 11, 2023, by 1-Rider Party-List Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez.
The bill’s explanatory note states that the committee had identified “numerous transgressions and abuses on the part of the franchise grantee.”
In December 2023, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issued a directive to suspend SMNI’s operations.
The suspension was related to alleged “infractions,” including violations of Section 4 of the franchise grant.
In November 2023, Jeffrey Celiz, the host of “Laban Kasama Ang Bayan,” acknowledged that the information provided by his source concerning Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez’s travel expenses was inaccurate.
Celiz subsequently issued an apology for the error.
