THE UNITEAM was formed to defeat a lightweight opposition in 2022.
It was the union of Marcos, Macapagal-Arroyo, and Duterte. A menage-a-trois of north, center and south that routed Leni Robredo’s well-intentioned challenge against entrenched political families in the Philippines.
When the dust of war settled, it became clear that former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would not be speaker of the House of Representatives.
Instead, Martin Romualdez, President Bongbong Marcos’ cousin from his mother’s side, was elected speaker sans a squeak of open resistance from among the pillars of the Uniteam.
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With the House squarely behind him, the President may now frustrate the remonstrations of the other tentacles of this troika.
Not only did Vice President Sara Duterte fail to get the defense portfolio, she got open-palmed slaps from the House that amputated her confidential and intelligence funds and later on breathed propaganda value to the Davao group’s looming prosecution at the International Criminal Court.
Next on the chopping block is Duterte’s propaganda arm – the Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) – a chunk of radio and television broadcasting stations whose franchise was renewed by Duterte himself.
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The word Sonshine may not make sense at first glance, but it does after a minute of analyzing the wordplay. Apollo Quiboloy, its honorary chairman, is the self-appointed “son” of God – the “owner of the Universe.”
In August 2019 then President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11422, the law that renewed the franchise of Swara Sug Media Corp., the legal entity operating SMNI.
The renewed franchise is good for another 25 years.
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A constant provision in radio franchises is that “the radio spectrum is a finite resource that is part of the national patrimony.” It is a privilege that “may be withdrawn at any time after due process.”
Now the House committee on legislative franchises is conducting hearings on Quiboloy’s franchise after an SMNI anchor was heard commenting on Speaker Martin Romualdez’s alleged P1.8 billion in travel expenses.
This is the same network that allowed Rodrigo Duterte to make that viral announcement of his desire to exterminate Rep. France Castro.
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The broadcast on the Speaker’s alleged travel expense was like a wayward fly flitting straight to a spider’s web. No morsel could have come at a more opportune time.
Jeffrey “Ka Eric” Celiz, the anchorman in question, admitted during one hearing that he had two resource persons for his report but only one is identifiable. The other one, according to him, was a text message sent from an unknown number which he has since deleted from his mobile phone.
Worse, the sole identifiable resource that he refuses to name is allegedly a Senate personnel, thereby placing the upper chamber in a sticky situation with the House.
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One of the conditions to Quiboloy’s broadcast franchise, according to Sec. 4 of RA 11422, is that the stations must not be used for the broadcasting of indecent language or speech, or for the “dissemination of deliberately false information or willful misrepresentation.”
To recall, malice as an element of libel may be inferred from content that is published with reckless disregard for the truth.
The great divide between the P4.3 million actually expended for the Speaker’s travels and the P1.8 billion that Celiz announced would have been verifiable from the records.
The members of the House committee on legislative franchises can easily make the conclusion that Celiz spoke with reckless disregard for the truth./PN
