News Roundup 07 December 2023
Dec 07, 2023 • 4 min Read
Bill seeking to revoke SMNI franchise filed in House, set for deliberation | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — A bill seeking to revoke the franchise of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) has already been filed before the House of Representatives, but it will still be deliberated by a panel, according to Parañaque 2nd District Rep. Gus Tambunting.
In an interview on Thursday, Tambunting — who chairs the House committee on legislative franchises — clarified though that the bill would be a separate discussion from the panel’s investigation.
The committee is probing SMNI after program host Jeffrey Celiz made false claims about Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez spending P1.8 billion for travel expenses, which was later found out to be P39.60 million only for the entire House.
“Wala pa po tayo doon (We’re not there yet). Right now, what we have is a resolution that was approved, asking NTC to suspend the airing of their program based on the preliminary findings of the committee, and this was voted upon. ‘Yong ipso facto po has not been agreed on or voted upon because the bill has not been voted upon,” Tambunting said when asked about the possible revocation of SMNI’s franchise.
Full Story at: Bill seeking to revoke SMNI franchise filed in House (inquirer.net)
PISA shows PH students ‘5 to 6 years’ behind | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Based on the results of the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa), the Filipino students who took part were five to six years behind in mathematics, science, and reading compared to their 15-year-old counterparts from most of the participating countries.
The Department of Education (DepEd), however, remained optimistic during a forum it organized on Wednesday, saying the results, which showed the Philippines ranking sixth to the last in reading and mathematics and third to the last in science among 81 countries, indicated that the country’s education system was “resilient.”
The results of the latest Pisa showed that the Philippines’ performance in the three subjects remained low and “were about the same” as in 2018, when it first took part in the assessment.
Pisa is conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to evaluate the academic performance of 15-year-old students in reading, mathematics and science every three years.
Full Story at: PISA shows PH students ‘5 to 6 years’ behind | Inquirer News
SMNI hosts go on hunger strike to protest House detention | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — SMNI anchors Lorraine Badoy and Jeffrey Celiz announced on Wednesday that they have initiated a hunger strike to protest their current detention at the House of Representatives.
“I am joining Ka Eric in a hunger strike to protest yesterday’s travesty that was a direct offshoot of the infiltration of the CPP-NPA-NDF inside Congress and to also hold those in power accountable to the Filipino people,” Badoy said in a statement posted on Facebook by SMNI’s lawyer Mark Tolentino.
Both Badoy and Celiz remain under medical supervision, according to House Secretary Reginald Velasco.
The House legislative franchises panel cited the two SMNI anchors in contempt during a hearing into possible franchise violations by the television network, which has been accused of airing disinformation against House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Lawmakers moved to cite Celiz in contempt after he refused to disclose the identity of his source on Romualdez’ supposed P1.8 billion travel expenses — an allegation that he and Badoy relayed on their show “Laban Kasama Ang Bayan” on SMNI.
Meanwhile, Badoy was cited in contempt for flip-flopping on the information she provided the panel regarding the network’s advertisements.
After apologizing for making the allegation against Romualdez, Celiz has asked to take back his apology from the record because he supposedly issued it without legal counsel.
Full Story at: SMNI hosts go on hunger strike to protest House detention | Philstar.com
Accomplice in Percy Lapid murder case gets 2-8 years in prison | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The aide of former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag, Denver Mayores, received a two to eight-year prison term for his role in broadcaster Percy Lapid’s murder, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Thursday.
In a statement by the Justice department, a Las Piñas court convicted Mayores, a person deprived of liberty (PDL), after he pleaded guilty for being an accessory to the crime and a co-conspirator with Bantag in the Lapid slaying.
“The conviction of Mayores, who initially faced a murder complaint as a principal by indispensable cooperation, underscores the complex web of involvement in Lapid’s assassination,” the DOJ said
The court’s decision was first posted by Lapid’s brother, Roy Mabasa, on X (formerly Twitter).
“Las Piñas RTC Judge Harold Huliganga sentenced inmate Denver Mayores to two-eight years imprisonment for being an accessory to the killing of broadcaster @lapidfire on Oct. 3, 2022. Mayores conspired with Bantag and Zulueta (former BuCor deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta) into committing the murder of Lapid. #JusticeForPercyLapid,” Mabasa said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on December 4.
Full Story at: Accomplice in Percy Lapid murder case gets 2-8 years in prison | Philstar.com
