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MTRCB orders 14-day preventive suspension of 2 SMNI shows

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="SMNI anchors Jeffrey Celiz and Lorraine Badoy. ABS-CBN News/File" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/12/04/20231205-baduy-celiz.jpg"/><figcaption>SMNI anchors Jeffrey Celiz and Lorraine Badoy. ABS-CBN News/File</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA (3rd UPDATE) — The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board has issued a preventive suspension on two shows on Sonshine Media Network International for 14 days after a review and investigation into alleged violations in their content.In a release, MTRCB said the shows &quot;Gikan Sa Masa, Para Sa Masa&quot; and &quot;Laban Kasama ang Bayan&quot; were suspended effective December 18 &quot;to prevent further violations or protect the interest and welfare of the public.&quot;The two shows and the network that airs them have been the focus of hearings at the House of Representatives into potential franchise violations, including the broadcast of false and defamatory content.The hearings were prompted by assertions made on the &quot;Laban Kasama ang Bayan&quot; show that House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez supposedly has a travel budget of P1.8 billion, a claim that the House has rejected and that SMNI host Jeffrey Celiz has admitted was wrong.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/30/23/smni-anchor-admits-claim-on-house-speakers-travel-fund-wrong">SMNI anchor admits claim on House Speaker&#x27;s travel fund wrong</a></li></ul>Hearings have also touched on an alleged threat that former President Rodrigo Duterte made on his &quot;Gikan Sa Masa, Para Sa Masa&quot; show against ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro and on repeated incidents of SMNI hosts labeling activists, human rights workers and political figures as rebels and terrorists.&quot;This suspension is long overdue but at last now something has been done to curtail the constant red-tagging, spreading of disinformation (fake news) and threatening of individuals using these two shows as well as the network,&quot; Castro said in a press release.<div>SMNI TOLD TO RECTIFY ISSUES</div>The MTRCB said it reviewed the October 10 and November 15 episodes of &quot;Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa&quot; and the November 30 episode of &quot;Laban Kasama ang Bayan&quot; and called for meeting with SMNI on December 7.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/11/23/house-committee-oks-resolution-urging-ntc-to-suspend-smni-ops">House committee OKs resolution urging NTC to suspend SMNI ops</a></li></ul>&quot;Upon careful review and consideration of recent events and complaints received by the Board, it was found that certain aspects of the abovementioned programs may have violated the established guidelines and standards set by Presidential Decree No. 1986 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations governing broadcasting content,&quot; MTRCB said.<a href="https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1985/10/05/presidential-decree-no-1986-s-1985/">PD 1986</a> is the MTRCB charter and gives it the power to regulate content &quot;with a dangerous tendency to encourage the commission of violence or of a wrong or crime&quot; or &quot;which are libelous or defamatory to the good name and reputation of any person.&quot;MTRCB said that its mandate includes approving and disapproving television programs &quot;that may be objectionable, including those undermining faith in the government or authorities, and being libelous or defamatory&quot; and to issue a preventive suspension to prevent further violations.&quot;<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/14/23/quiboloy-is-ultimate-beneficial-owner-of-smni-lawmaker">Quiboloy is ultimate beneficial owner of SMNI: lawmaker</a></li></ul>The board said that the 14-day suspension is meant to address concerns and ensure compliance with broadcasting standards, &quot;during which SMNI is expected to address and rectify the identified issues.&quot;In a text message, SMNI legal officer Atty. Mark Tolentino said the company respects MTRCB&#x27;s ruling.“We will respect the decision of MTRCB re preventive suspension,” Tolentino told ABS-CBN News in a text statement.“Pinag-aralan pa namin ano next legal remedy namin sa SMNI,” he added.Meanwhile, Castro said she hopes that the suspension will lead to more accountability for SMNI.&quot;The authorities should look into the pattern [of] consistent red-tagging, terrorist-labelling for longer and more decisive,&quot; Castro said in her statement.For his part, Bayan Chairperson Teddy Casiño believes the MTRCB action vindicates his complaints against SMNI’s red tagging and disinformation.&quot;Just yesterday, I sued Lorraine Badoy-Partosa and Jeffrey Celiz for their false and malicious accusations against me aired repeatedly over their program. Such lies, aspertions and incitement against me and other activists, government critics, and members of the opposition are much much worse than the incidents cited by MTRCB in its decision to suspend the show,&quot; said Casiño.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/18/23/another-activist-files-complaint-vs-badoy-celis-over-red-tagging">Another activist files complaint vs Badoy, Celis over red tagging</a></li></ul>&quot;I hope that MTRCB also considers the many other incidents when these two shows spewed false and defamatory content, including death threats and malicious imputations of serious crimes against innocent people. Our complaints can be used as basis to review the multiple violations of the hosts and the network,&quot; he added. -- With a report from Vivienne Gulla, ABS-CBN News.​<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2898665" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

MTRCB said the suspension is meant to address concerns and ensure SMNI's compliance with broadcasting standards.